La Liberté Oublié
by Maiden of the Heavens
Summary: Sequel to Petite Fleur for two years, they suffered on "The Island." With only eachother for comfort.But with Ivy slowly losing hope and her own sanity,Remy needs to think of way out and e is one that is going to make their escape possible.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****Welcome readers and reviewers of Petite Fleur, to the sequel! I'm not really sure if I like this introductory chapter, but that's up to you to decide. But please no flaming! Warning: there is a lot of French in this, but I have translated it to the best of my ability. There will also be a rating change from T to M, around chapter ten of this story due to romance scenes between Remy and Ivy later on. **

**I do not own X-Men, just the idea for this story and my OC. Please read and review, and I hope you like it! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens)**

_You are the guy who stole my heart, _

_I am the girl you're always fighting for_.

**-**Plumb: Real Life Fairytale

Chapter 1 

Remy LeBeau tried to ignore, the pressure of a barrel of a gun, being pressed against his bare back, as the lukewarm water poured down from the showerhead above him. Shampoo rinsed out, soap foam gone, and just in time as the timer on the showerhead stopped and water stalled in running, and few droplets dripped lazily from it. Remy sighed, as he pulled the ugly nearly blinding, prison orange, jumpsuit back on. It covered the bruises, and bandages from forcefully having blood drawn, and tested nearly twenty-four hours. At least the bruise on his face was healing, from where Victor Creed had decided, to smash him in the face with a fully grown tree. The wound was now a sickly light yellow color, mixed with a deep purple. Ivy would be happy to see that.

His heart sunk, as he thought of her, curled in the fetal position at the bottom of her cage, lying on the cold cement floor. All she saw for nearly the whole day was darkness. The cruel bastard, William Stryker, had ordered for her to be blindfolded. Half of her powers, came from her dark rose pink eyes, the other half came from the thin invisible strings that retracted from her fingertips. They bound her hands together in plastic, like a tiny bird cage, her hands seeming to be constantly knotted together, as if she was praying twenty four/seven.

Remy's eyes narrowed, red with dark black pupils. The guns were pressed against his back again as, the guards forcefully led him back into the room, he had now come to dread.

Rows and rows of chain link cages, wired with heavy security. Remy could feel kinetic energy surging from his fingers tips, begging to explode the devices. To escape. But before the warm kinetic energy could connect with the devices, the guards slammed him against the outside of his own cage, his hands being forcefully pressed against his back by one guard, while the other yanked the collar of the jumpsuit down.

The Cajun continued to struggle, until the sharp prick of a needle, and fluid being forced into his blood stream made him stop. The liquid worked quickly making him feel sluggish, as if he had not gotten enough sleep. The guards tossed him into his cage, as the security device locked it up behind him.

On his hands and knees, Remy crawled to the edge of his cage, the part that connected him with the left side of the Earth-puppeteer's. His fingers grasped through the links, as he saw her, lying at the bottom of her own cage. Her normal porcelain colored skin was raw and pink, even bleeding a little. Her knuckles were pressed through the plastic wires of her hands restraints, as he gently rubbed his finger against one.

"_Petite fleur…-_little flower-" the pet name he given her, came from his mouth, practically crooned with his New Orleans accent easily sliding in with the French.

Ivy did not say anything for a couple of minutes, when she did, her voice sounded raw from screaming and pleading. "_Quelque chose__? _-anything-"

"_Cela ne va pas être une promenade dans le parc. -_This isn't going to be a walk in the park.- _La_ _planification prend du temps_ -Planning takes time-…" He explained as calmly as he could.

The Earth-puppeteer's voice broke, as tears suddenly slipped from behind the blindfold, that encased her sight in darkness. "_J-Je ne peux pas le prendre plus ... la douleur ... c'est trop -_I/I can't take it anymore…the pain…it's too much…- …"

Remy squeezed his fingers through, and wiped her tears away, as they clung to his fingertips a little, finally noticing that her face was tear-stained, and it was not just because of the fresh ones that fell past her cheeks.

"Just hold on a little longer." He said and heard the sounds of nighttime lockdown starting. The florescent lights dimmed down, so they glowed a dull orange, and the electric wires around the outside of the cages began to hum.

Ivy knew what to do, for three months now, it was the same routine. She pressed her back against the chain-lick cage, so Remy could get the latch unhooked from her blindfold. She held still, as he worked the only two fingers he was able to squeeze through in order to let her see, at least for a little bit.

The blindfold fell away, as Ivy caught it, balanced on her encased hands by her wrists, before it could clank heavily to the ground. She set it aside slowly and very carefully, and then turned to face the Cajun. Resting back on her knees, tears still clinging to edge of her eyes, and swam in the dark rose pink color of them. She was looking at him, as if trying to memorize his features.

"Remy…" His name was a soft coo, from her hurting throat.

The Cajun smiled softly at her and stroked his fingers, feather soft, against her still damp cheeks. He still felt sluggish, and would feel like it the whole night, it was the way they kept his powers suppressed.

Ivy's eyes suddenly shifted, the pupils becoming cat-like slits. She could see them, glowing, and sparkling diamonds of still living earth within the chain links. She smiled a little. "They're there."

A mischievous grin lit Remy's face. "That'll make," He slipped into his New Orleans accented French easily, " _Notre évasion beaucoup plus facile -_Our escape much easier-."

Ivy's eyes returned to normal as her eyes, met his forest green.

She knew it was too soon to try escaping, they would just get caught. But she met his smile, with a grim one of her own.

The swish of the entrance door to their prison, sent panic down Ivy's spine, and alarm to spark for a second on Remy's face. Ivy gathered the horrifying blindfold with her wrists, as the two sides that connected looked like two jagged puzzle pieces, dangled on each sides. She pressed it to her face and then leaned against the chain link fence, her wrists and the plastic encasement on her hands keeping it in place, as Remy reconnected it as quickly as he could.

The blindfold seemed to mold to her face, and tighten, as Ivy tried to get used to the darkness once more. Remy gently stroked her lightly damp, dark chocolate curls with his fingers to calm her down. But it was the beep of the security device on the Cajun's cage door, that made Ivy lift her head to the noise, and panic as Remy's calming touch suddenly left, and the chain-link door clanked open and close.

"Remy?" she breathy-whispered lit with panic.

Dead silence was her reply.

"REMY!" She screamed his name now, panicking and she screamed his name repeatedly until her throat hurt too much. Tears streamed down her cheeks again, hitting her lips as the bitter taste of salt water, stung her tongue as she sobbed.

**A/N: ****Well what did you think? Don't worry what happened to Remy will be explained in chapter two. Please Review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: ****I am actually quite pleased with this chapter. Sure it is a little on the fluffy and the plot thickening side, but I like it nonetheless. I was surprised that I am actually getting this chapter out on time, considering that I have a sinus infection and my antibiotics make me feel all queasy. Enough of my ranting. **

**I do not own X-Men, just the plot for this story and my OC. Enjoy! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **

Chapter 2 

The Cajun was half dragged into a back room. It was dank and small, hardly enough room for the card table that sat in the middle, chips piled in a over-flowing mound in the middle of the faded green velvet that covered it. The room smelt cigarette smoke and alcohol. Remy smirked, the setting nearly brought back memories of his favorite bar in New Orleans.

He sighed, Ivy's screaming for his name had stopped, but they still should not have just hauled him out of his cage without warning. She was probably frightened out her mind. He would explain everything to her later, for now he was going to enjoy his bit of freedom, seeing the money chips in the middle of table, as he was forced to sit in rickety chair, a sly smile formed onto his handsome features. The plan for his and Ivy's escape was slowly starting to click together.

And those chip were going to be part of it.

Still feeling a little groggy and sluggish from his recent drugging, Remy glanced at the guards. They all looked worn from lack of sleep, and that this little nighttime ritual of theirs was probably the only stress reliever they had.

"Is there a reason, why you were so kind as to invite me to your game, gentlemen?" Remy asked, smiling ever so slightly.

One of guards, pulled out a smoke, and lit it. He took a long drag out of it, before replying to the kinetic energy manipulating mutant. "Rumors have been circling. We heard you were good."

Remy only smirked a little, at the compliment. "Perhaps, I am."

The cards began to be dealt. Remy easily picked up his offered hand.

"What's the game?" He questioned, scanning his cards. Noticing his lucky lady was in his hand, he almost smiled. The Queen of Hearts had never let him down before. She was defiantly going to have pull through for him tonight.

"Straight." A younger guard answered, with a simple shrug.

Smoke from the many cigarettes, swirled around near the one hanging light, that swayed back and forth, causing eerie shadows to be cast on the wall. Beer bottle caps were popped off, and the aroma of the liquid filled the room nearly instantly.

The game began, and Remy could easily see the outcome of it.

Hours later, with a grin on his face, the Cajun laid down his final cards of five.

The rest of the men had already folded, and an ever-growing pile of different colored chips lay in front of him. The only one, who had not given up was the guard, who seemed to have an addition to chain smoking and cheap beer.

The guard stubbed out his last cigarette, against the already cigarette burned table, and laid out his failed hand. Remy had defiantly and won. He pulled the chips in front of him, and slid a couple of the most smallest ones down the sleeve of his blindingly orange jumpsuit, making sure they were caught into the crook of his elbow, as he rested his chin against the palm of his hand. Smirking like the slyest of foxes.

"Damn. They weren't lying." The guard said with a confused expression, before standing up to escort the Cajun back to cage.

Remy made sure to keep his arms folded, so the chips would not fall, as they shoved him back inside his cage, the security device beeping, as the chain-link door clanked shut. He crouched down and let the chips slid down into the right-side of his boot, as he pretended to retied his loose shoelace, that he stepped on just for the purpose of hiding his soon to be tiny explosives.

Once, the guard had left the room, Remy sat down and pressed his two of fingers through the holes, to stroke some of Ivy's dark-chocolate tresses. Her head automatically lifted to his touch and she turned to face him, as he then gently brushed a finger against one of her knuckles, that was popping out of its plastic imprisonment.

"Where were you?" she questioned, her voice, hardly above a breathy-whisper, her dark-rose pink eyes still surrounded by the darkness that her blindfold brought upon her hour after hour.

"Playin' a game of poker with the guards." He answered in the same tone, and the Earth-puppeteer could practically feel the smile in his voice.

-They continued to speak in hushed voices, their plan being heard among their fellow captured mutants would only put them in more risk, and neither of them wanted to risk their future freedom, by a such a stupid mistake.-

"Did you win?" She asked, not caring that he been gambling, just hearing the sound of his voice made her feel better.

"I had too. I needed supplies." the Cajun smirked.

"How did you end up winning exactly?" Ivy almost demanded, a hint of excitement in her sore and tired sounding voice.

"Easily, _Petite Fleur. _Skill." Remy replied.

The Earth-Puppeteer frowned, "You cheated didn't you?"

Remy feigned being hurt by her words, as he answered, "_Petite Fleur, _it hurts my heart to have you accusing me, of a such a crime."

A sigh almost left Ivy's lips, but was unable to escape, as Remy pressed a kiss against her mouth, that still had slightest hint of salt from her tears, against them. Her face burned crimson.

"I am neva gonna get sick of seein' you turn red, _Petite Fleur." _The Cajun stated, as her face only turned a darker shade.

"Do you wanna see the supplies?" Remy questioned, and Ivy nodded.

The Earth-puppeteer turned so the claps of the blindfold could be undone by Remy's thief skilled fingers, as the heavy darkness inducer fell against her squished together wrists, and she placed it on the floor, without a sound. She turned back to face the Cajun, the one who made her heart pound, as he dug his hand into his boot, and pulled out one of the chips.

Ivy's dark rose pink eyes became wide, with the realization of what it was. "But Remy, that's…" her voice nearly raised from its whispering state.

"_Je sais…-_I know-_" _He interrupted her, and slid the single dark-blue plastic chip back into his boot.

"You can't…" Ivy began to protest against this, they would need the money later, after all.

"_Je peux obtenir plus d'argent plus tard -_I can get more money later-." He said, trying to soothe her fears.

The Earth-Puppeteer nodded and Remy kissed her on the mouth again. It was starting to become an odd, but good feeling, that he cared more of the two of them escaping together, then the money that the chips- that were hidden in the bottom of his boot, and pressed against his socked foot- were worth.

He pressed another kiss to his _Petite Fleur, _just to see her face flair red again. A smirk crossing his lips, as he did so.

**A/N: ****Please read and review! I apologize for the lack of detail in the poker-playing part of the chapter, but I am not skilled in it, so my only source was wikipedia and that only confused me more. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, anyways. -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I apologize for updating so late. But here it is, chapter three. I do not own X-Men, just my OC and the plot for this story. Please enjoy! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens)**

Chapter 3 

Darkness was all she saw, the thick metal blindfold with it's black fabric inside, kept all light out, even the florescent ones. She could hear the low buzzing hum coming from them, like a swarm of angry bees. Ivy tried desperately to wiggle one of her fingers loose from the plastic encasement that bound her hands so tightly together. Fingers clasped as if in constant or begging. The plastic wires wrapped around the outside of her hands, like a fancy birdcage, and there were more that weaved around the inside, just to keep her from being able to move them at all. She was extremely lucky that she was able to push even her knuckles through the bindings.

Even if the Earth-Puppeteer was able to wiggle a finger loose, she still would not be able to use her powers. She needed her eyes to show her where the live earth was, if she tried to do without, the consequences could be dire. Ivy lay on the cement bottom of her cage, trying to ignore the pleading screams of her fellow imprisoned mutants, if she listened to long, she would start screaming to be released too. But she could not let that happen, not again.

Instead, she lay on her stomach against the cold flooring and let her knuckles rub against the cold cement. The earth that still lived inside it, was softly vibrating against her knuckles, she wanted to pull it, to manipulate and escape. But no, that would be far to risky, if she pulled on dead earth instead, she could still manipulate it to her will, it would leave her exhausted as a result. And recapture would defiantly end up happening, or maybe even worse, her death.

Besides she would not leave without her Cajun. Her cheek pressed against the cement bottom, she sighed in almost happiness. The cool felt good to her, but the only one that was keeping her sanity intact was Remy. Without him, she would of lost her mind days ago.

Hearing the door of her cage security disengage, and the sound of feet shuffling in, she cautiously lifted her dark mop of curly dark chocolate haired head to the sound. Before she could react, she was lifted off the floor, her feet dangling in midair.

The screams and pleads of fellow captures, were quickly fading as she was hauled into a different room, but hearing water beginning to squeak loose from either a faucet or a showerhead made panic flood through her.

Ivy knew what was coming…

Pain. And a lot of it.

The Earth-Puppeteer began to struggle and thrash like a fish out of water. She did not want to feel anymore pain, she was sick of it. She smirked, when she felt the back of her shoed heel hit some poor guard in the shin. Hard.

He bit back a curse, and the nurse trying to remove her blinding orange jumpsuit, nearly felt Ivy's teeth sinking into her lab coat covered arm. But before she could free herself, the guard she had kicked in the shin, whacked her non-to-lightly upside the head with his nightstick. She staggered leaning into the wet titled wall, as the nurses quickly stripped her of the jumpsuit.

With the side of temple throbbing painfully, Ivy bit back a scream, her bottom lip almost bleeding from the pressure her top teeth were applying. Hot searing water streamed down on her, with the heaviness of a fully-powered jackhammer. It felt as if her skin was peeling off from an awful sunburn. The sound of rubber gloves being snapped on tight to the nurses' hands made the Earth-Puppeteer brace herself.

Rough bristle scrub brushes lathered with soap, were pressed against her bare skin, from the back of her neck, down. Scrubbed hard enough to turn her porcelain colored skin, pink and raw. Blood beginning to trail down her back, as they turned her around to scrub her from the front of her neck down to her toes. Tears pooled at the edges of Ivy's tightly squeezed shut eyes, and slipped down to join the searing hot water, that dripped down her face.

Finally, one of the nurses unclamped the back of her blindfold, and set it down on a table beside where a fresh jumpsuit was waiting. Ivy still kept her eyes closed, afraid to open them, as one of the nurses massaged shampoo into her curls, and it was quickly rinsed out before the Earth-Puppeteer could even open her eyes. The blindfold was put back into place, and Ivy nearly let out a whimper of disappointment.

The Nurses forced her into a chair, after forcefully putting undergarments onto her. Her arms were stretched out along the length of the arm chair, and nurses quickly undid the plastic wires that kept Ivy's hands clasped together, and strapped them down with metal restraints. One nurse took a pair of clippers and began to trim Ivy's nails down to the nub, and then a nail file. This was all precautionary, according to the nurses.

No dirt on her skin, or in any of the crevasses of her body, meant no way of attack or defense. But Ivy knew the truth by now, Stryker feared the mutants he captured.

Once Ivy was full dressed, and her hands rebound in their plastic encasement of wires, she was lead back to her cage, and shoved roughly inside, but something was rolled in after, and bounced against her foot. Ivy got down on her hands and knees, and felt the object with her knuckles.

It was slightly round with a curved in top and bottom, the stub still attached to the top. Ivy somehow managed to roll it, so it rested against her wrists, and scooted back on her butt, so her back was pressed against the chain-link that was also connected to Remy's cage. But he was not there. She would of known if he was. Fact was, she did not know where he went, or even what day it was anymore. Days blurred, as did time. She could never keep track.

Shaking her head, and clearing her mind of any thoughts that Remy might be dead. Ivy bent down toward the object, that now rested her against her thighs.

Having no other choice on how to figure out what it was, she bit into it. And nearly let out a whimper of joy, as juice trickled down her chin, and she quickly used her tongue to get it off. She bit into it a second time.

An apple, one of the nurses had been nice enough to give her actually food, rather then the slop that was usually served, three-times a day as their meal. Or maybe the nurse was foolish.

She had given Ivy a weapon. A piece of live earth, she could manipulate. But hunger gnawed at her stomach, and Ivy continued to eat away at her little piece of heaven, turning it with her knees and engaged hands. Finally she used her knuckles, to dig out the seeds, and crawled toward a corner of her cage, to try her best to hide them, along with the core.

"What are you doin'_ Petite Fleur_?" Remy asked, kneeling down, his fingers lacing through the chain-links, so he could pull on one of her dark chocolate curls and make it spring back to its original form.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" She questioned, trying to pile loose pieces of rubbles on top of her treasures.

"_Non. _Now what are you doin'?" the Cajun practically demanded now, in a hushed whisper. Having just gotten back from his own day of tortures, and usual pains. He could not call that being hurt anymore.

"_Cacher mes trésors_ -Hiding my treasures-_._" Ivy replied and once she was done covering the apple core and seeds, leaned back against the chain-link fence, so her back was pressed against it, and Remy began to work the only two fingers, he could squeeze through, and undid the latch of her blindfold.

The Earth-Puppeteer set it down on the cement bottom of her cage, and blinked up at the dull orange florescent lights, and the low hum of the electricity that now pulsed through both the entrances of her and the Cajun's cages. She had been so busy eating her precious treat, she had not even noticed that nighttime lockdown had started.

She let her dark rose pink eyes fall onto Remy's handsome face, and smiled lovingly. He gently let his finger caress the bruise forming around her left temple and eye. She had tried to fight back. Foolish, but she had tried.

"Now what are your treasures?" He asked, still whispering, and the kissed the tip of her nose, as she pressed her face very close against the chain-links.

"_Mes armes_ -my weapons-." She answered in a whisper that sounded almost sleepy.

"_Armes? _-weapons-" The Cajun looked at her puzzled with a raised eyebrow.

**A/N: ****I hope you enjoyed it. Please Review! Chapter four, will be posted on time, I promise. -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **_**I am hoping that Remy doesn't seem too much OOC in the chapter, that my French translation isn't awful. I tried my best, Certh. Anyways, I do not own X-Men just my plot for this story and my OCS. I do not own the song either, it is the French version of a song called, 'Hijo de la Luna' (Son of the Moon) by Mecano. Please enjoy the chapter! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)**

Chapter 4

Remy still looked at her with confusion, as his fingers touched her knuckles, which were now white from pressing against the restraints so much, just to feel his touch against her skin.

"_Semences de pomme…_-apple seeds-" The Earth-Puppeteer whispered happily, a smile breaking across her usually shattered features.

The Cajun only smiled back, glad to see that she hear that she had weapons of her own. This would make their breakout much easier. Worry shimmered across his forest green eyes for a moment.

"_Attendre, est-il terre morte? _-Wait, is it dead earth-" His tone was also hushed, because if she weakened during their escape, it only make the plan a lot more difficult to follow through with.

"_Non, seulement dormir. -_No, only sleeping.-" Ivy explained, hoping that when the apple core rotted away there would be more seeds, but that was probably getting her hopes to high. "_Je peux les réveiller, pas de soucis_. -I can wake them up, no worries-."

Remy decided to ask her about what she meant later by waking them up, later. Ivy was beginning to get tired, he could see dark shadows under her dark rose pink eyes. It was from nights of restless sleep, even with him as close to her as possible, it did not help that the other captures would continue to scream pleading to escape, or just plain scream because they were losing their sanity, and had no other way to vent it, since they couldn't hurt themselves.

Most of the time Ivy would break down sobbing, heart wrenching cries, whatever little hope, she had beginning to crumble. Remembering the daily pain was only coming closer as soon as she closed to her eyes and was sucked into a world of nightmares, that left her screaming until her throat was raw with agony, and he could nothing to comfort her.

Remy had to keep her talking for a little longer, keep her alert for a just a tad longer. He did want to have to help her but her blindfold back on just yet. It hurt his heart the most when he had be the one, to put her back into her never ending abyss of gloom.

"_Combien?_-how many-" The Cajun asked.

Ivy struggled to remember, her mind was so exhausted and her eyelids felt so terribly heavy, like lead. She tried to remember how many her knuckles had scrapped out from the flesh of the apple. "_Trois…_-three-" It would be enough, and with the living earth still in the chain-link metal that made up the walls of their cages, she would not have a hard time, killing the guards if she had too.

"_Petite Fleur…" _The sound of Remy's voice calling her by his pet name for her, beckoned her out of her thoughts.

She let her dark-rose pink eyes lift to meet his forest green, as he gently let a finger caress the part of the bruise that was along her eye. "We should both try to get some sleep." He said quietly.

Ivy nodded and scooted away from him a little, she grabbed the horrifying blindfold off the floor, by using her bound hands, and then slid until it was snug in the crook of her arm. The Earth-Puppeteer then made her way back toward Remy, this time with her back to him, as she pressed the blindfold to her face and then leaned back, holding it tightly to her still, with her plastic wired encased hands, as the Cajun clicked it back into place.

Ivy lay down the best she could, keeping her eyes closed, not that it really mattered. If she opened them anyways it would be the same thing. Pitch black. She inched closer to the chain link fence, until she was able to Remy's fingers playing with her dark chocolate tresses, taking which ever ones he could reach and stretch them out, and watch them easily go back to their original state of curliness.

It somehow strangely comforting, as Ivy could feel herself beginning to slip into the world of hopefully peaceful dreams. Until the screaming of the fellow captured mutants began and her dark-rose pink eyes snapped open, as she struggled to find away to block them.

Suddenly, she heard Remy crooning softly, trying to keep her from joining them in their pleading screams. Ivy could not believe he was actually singing to her. In French, a lullaby she remembered, but she could only catch the last bit of the song, as sleep summoned her slowly, and the Cajun's voice became foggy and unclear, as if she was sinking into water.

"…_Et les soirs où l'enfant joue et sourit, de joie aussi, La lune s'arrondit. Et lorsque l'enfant pleure, elle décroit pour lui faire un berceau de lumière… _-And the nights when the child play and smiled, of joy too, the moon becomes round. And when the child cries, she decreases to become a cradle of light-._" _

Remy smiled softly as he heard her breathing deeply in sleep and was about to drift off to sleep himself, when he heard a whimper accompanied by a sniffle, and a name, come from Ivy's mouth in a sleepy manner, "Aster…"

The Cajun's brow crinkled in confusion as he heard the name. Who could Aster be? A family member, or maybe a former lover? And if this person who belonged to the name she uttered really was a former lover, then why was acting so shy and embarrassed every time she saw him shirtless? These questions burning in his mind and also taking away his precious hours of sleep away, before his daily torture began, only reminded him how very little he knew about the girl he was falling in love with.

Clearing the doubtful thoughts from his mind, Remy gently let himself fall asleep, a couple of fingers still gently resting against Ivy's mop of dark chocolate curls.

He awoke to the sound of a metal tray being scrapped against the cement bottom of his cage, as the door clanked shut, and the sound of the security taking over, only made him more aware of his surroundings that had become disgustingly familiar.

The smell of warm cinnamon oatmeal reached his nose, reminded his growling stomach just how hungry he was, as he grabbed the tray and setting it on his lap, began to spoon down the food without thinking of consequences.

"Remy…?" The groggy voice of the Earth-Puppeteer, made him look up from the spoonful of his breakfast, that he was about to shove in his mouth.

Her face was tear-stained, meaning she did sleep as peacefully as he had hoped, and smiled a little, when he heard her stomach rumbling. She could probably smell the oatmeal from where she now had her face pressed against the chain link metal.

Remy looked over at his tray, and noticed a second bowl with small slices of apples in it, and another spoon. The people who worked there, just were not only Mysophobias, but also afraid of Ivy.

"Remy…?" She called out his again, still sleepy sounding but laced with panic.

"I'm still here, _Petite Fleur_." He answered, and brought the tray closer to where she was kneeling, and took the second spoon and scooped up enough, so it would not drip over the edge. "Open your mouth and say ahh…" he tried his best not to snicker.

Her face became a mask of confusion, "Wha-?" before she could finish the word, the spoon was in her mouth, and she was swallowing down the warm goodness of the oatmeal.

She almost whimpered happily, and opened up her mouth for more, but shut it when she only heard Remy lazily turning the spoon around and around in the bowl.

"Answer my questions, and I will feed you more oatmeal." He said, his voice was slick with smugness.

Ivy glared at him, even though he couldn't see it. But he could tell by the way her face twisted with anger and annoyance, that she was not pleased with what he said.

"Blackmailer." She hissed coldly and accusingly.

The Cajun chuckled and grinned like the mad hatter on a sugar high, "That is only one of my many hidden talents." He lifted the spoon up to her mouth again through the metal holes that surrounded them. "Who's Aster?"

**A/N: ****Please Review, I am not sure when they will escape, but I do not want to make it too soon. -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ****I know I am posting this early, but I finished it, so I decided to just go ahead and post it! This doesn't mean chapter six will be posted on Wednesday, I don't think I could finish it that quickly. But I hope you enjoy this chapter! I do not own X-Men, just the plot for this story, and any OCS. -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens)**

Chapter 5

Ivy bit her lip, but not hard enough to draw blood. How had he heard that name?

As if reading her mind, the Cajun said softly. "You said the name while you were sleepin'"

An image flashed across her darkened vision. A girl, no older then twelve, with long dark chocolate hair in very loose ringlets, not tightly wound springs like her own. The girl's skin was not as pale as Ivy's, a normal cream color with a hardly noticeable glint of a tan. She was smiling, tiny bubbles of water danced around her like tiny sparkling stars in midair, while she twirled and spun around them like a ballerina, in the summer heat, wearing a starch white summer dress, a ruby red ribbon in her hair. She could manipulate water, like Ivy could manipulate the elements of earth. But her eyes were not a dark rose pink, they were a normal light spring leaf color. She had been the normal one, at least she looked like it, while Ivy had been the freak. Her parents had not abandoned Aster…

"Ivy?" the sound of Remy calling her name, and the sweet scent of oatmeal brought her out of her reminiscing.

The Cajun was waiting for a response, lazily stirring the spoon in the oatmeal to occupy himself while he did.

"She is…was…my sister…" The Earth-Puppeteer replied, softly and slowly. "My older and only sister."

Noticing her lip was quivering, and knowing full well that tears were going to follow, Remy put the spoon, nearly dripping with the slightly liquid and lumpy breakfast, into her mouth.

She said was…after stumbling over the word, meaning that either her sister was alive, or she was not. Or maybe a family dispute, whatever had happened the Cajun did not feel pushing farther into the matter, and continued to feed her the oatmeal, spoonful by spoonful, like a helpless toddler. He knew how it felt, and he did not wish to cause her anymore pain, then she was already in.

Both their heads lifted up, a guard stood at Ivy's cage door, and behind him, William Stryker. Ivy knew it was him, she could tell by the way, Remy had tensed and she could feel the living earth vibrating with the kinetic energy, he was starting to let pulse through the chain link metal.

"Remy?" Her voice was thick with uncertainty as the guard pulled her away from the Cajun, his fingers slipping away from the touch they had on her knuckles, the guard dragged her away by the collar of her blindingly orange jumpsuit.

His big meaty hand practically tearing the fabric, the hair on his knuckles brushing against the back of the Earth-Puppeteer's neck, as she squirmed and wiggled, trying to dig her booted feet into the cement of her cage.

As awful as it sounded, their cages had become their sanctuary, a place away from their day to day pain. Not from the screaming of their fellow caged mutants, but at least they were not in agony, and Ivy could listen to her Cajun, and somehow feel safe.

"You'll be okay, _Petite Fleur_…" Remy said, trying to soothe her from where he still crouched, his fingers now wrapped around the chain-links that connected their cages.

Stryker, the man who allowed their torture, turned to look at him, smug and as cocky as ever. "Now, Mister Lebeau, you shouldn't make promises, you can't keep."

Remy glared at him, his eyes flashing red with black pupils. "Don't you dare even go thinkin' about hurtin' her." His voice was deadly as he spoke, and Stryker merely chuckled, leaving the Cajun alone.

Remy watched him, wishing he could get his hands on Stryker and watch him explode, because of his powers. But for now, he had finish concocting the escape plan. He needed to get Ivy out, before it was too late.

The guard still held Ivy by the collar, like a kitten being carried in its mother's mouth. She did not bother in squirming, as William approached them, smirking at the Earth-Puppeteer. Stryker removed the blindfold from around her head, himself, as Ivy blinked in the oncoming lights like an owl.

"Is that better?" Stryker questioned, fake concern in his voice, as Ivy narrowed her dark rose pink eyes at him in reply.

He shoved her into the room, they were standing in front of, and the Earth-Puppeteer was forced onto her knees, as one of the doctors put a cold metal collar around her neck, that looked almost identical to her blindfold, except it was thinner and a high-pitched beeping noise, emitted from it.

Ivy glanced down at the circular beeping object, and then to the man, who had stolen her happiness and freedom, as she was yanked upright into a standing position. Her hands still bound in their plastic encasement, she narrowed her eyes at him again. The room was cold, like being in a freezer, the walls were white, like freshly fallen snow, and the floors were polished white tiles.

All she wanted to know was why, she was in here. That simple, that easy. But when the back door to the room, swooshed open, and slightly warm air melded in with the icy-breath making chill.

Ivy's dark rose pink eyes became wide, and she struggled to find her voice, lost in utter disbelief, as the person who stood in the shadow of the doorway walked in.

She looked at Stryker, anger flooding past her shock expression, and then to the person, who had walked into the room.

"How could you do this!" she screamed angrily, eyes narrowed, and blood boiling. "And you think we're the monsters! Have you even bothered to look in a mirror lately!" She spat out viscously.

Before she could continue her rant, a massive jolt of pain racked through her entire body, from her head to her toes, the collar vibrating as the power surged from it, and coursed through her thin frame until she dropped to her knees.

Tears, pooled near the edge of her eyes, and slipped past her cheeks, from both the pain and the figure that now kneeled in front of her. The last thing she saw, as her world became hazy and slowly began to darken with a rippling surface, from the jolts that still coursed through her was a pair of spring green orbs, that had once sparkled with life, but were now cloudy and dead to the world…

Remy lifted his sore and aching body into a sitting position, from where he was lay in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the floor of his cage. His face was bruised, all black and purple, and once again, his torso to his chest was bandaged heavily, blood spotting out between the whiteness, in dark rusty colors.

Stryker thought it would be amusing to sick Victor on him for awhile, punishment he called it, for his blood not working in the madman's "pool". But it was also that they expected him for stealing, a smug look crossed his sore, handsome face, as he remembered it all.

Not that Stryker would be able to prove it. Glancing over, his forest green eyes fell to Ivy, she lay on the bottom of her own cage, blindfold on and hands wrapped in their own little tiny plastic cage. But something was off, around her neck a dark red burn, third-degree no doubting, and she was unconscious. Her face tearstained.

He gently let two of his fingers, pull on one of her dark chocolate spring tight curls, as Ivy stirred a little, showing that was she returning back to the hellhole, back to where screams of insanity greeted them by their neighbors, nearly endlessly hour after hour.

Peering down closer, he noticed dark red splotches covered her hair, and marked her porcelain skin like freckles. Blood. He caressed a kiss, feather soft, against her mouth. Her lips tasted of watery-salt from tears.

" _Qu'at-il fait_? -What did he do?" Remy demanded, trying to sound loving, but it came out bitter, as his anger washed over him.

Her voice came out choked, and tears of devastation anew, slipped past her blindfold and plopped onto the cement below like rain. "_Il me fit lui faire du mal …_-He made me hurt her-"

Remy's bruised face, crinkled in confusion, as his fingers continued to fiddle with her hair. "_Blessé, qui?_ -Hurt, who-"

The name came out in a struggle as she said it, as if she could not get enough to air to her lungs. "Aster…" Ivy broke down, screaming and trying to curl herself into the fetal position, sobs wracking her body.

**A/N: ****Everything will be explained in chapter six. Please Review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ****So I have updated twice now this week. This chapter is longer then the others, I added as much detail as I could. Chapter 7 will be the start of the escape, and chapter eight will be the end of it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**I am not fluent in German, which what Ivy and Aster are speaking throughout this chapter. I had to use Google translate. So if something wrong, please let me know. **

**I do not own X-Men. Just the plot for this story and my OCS- MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens)**

Chapter 6

She never thought William Stryker could become more heartless then he already seemed…oh, how wrong she had been…

_Awaking to feeling water beneath her, practically soaking through her jumpsuit, was not what Ivy expected when she regained consciousnesses. But what she felt below the low puddle of water was cement. She pushed herself into a kneeling position, and looked down. Amazement and realization dawned, she could wiggle her fingers, and move her hands. _

_It was bliss. She was engrossed with this small freedom, that she did not even notice the wave of water, that crashed down upon her, until she was flat on her back, and choking on it. She looked up at her attacker with wide dark rose pink eyes, she had not been dreaming after all. _

_Her sister stood in front of her, Aster's spring green eyes were fogged, the pupils in the cat-like slits. The long flowing loose ringlets that the Earth-Puppeteer was so used to remembering her sister having, were gone. It had been hacked into a pixie cut, with extremely tiny, half-flipped up little ducktails everywhere. Messy and unnatural._

_This was not the sister, she had grown up with till the tender age of eight. This person before her was a puppet of Stryker's. An empty shell of the girl, she had once looked up to for guidance._

_Another wave of water rose, ready to drown her, as Ivy pushed herself to her feet, and quickly vaulted herself out of the way, raising a wall of cement in front of her, as she landed, to block the rest of the liquid. Ivy glanced around for Stryker, he stood within the line sight of the corner of her eye, on a raised platform, the glass wall, that surrounded the whole area, easily caught reflection of the Earth-Puppeteer's deadly gaze._

"_I am not fighting, my own sister! You hear me, Stryker? Never!" She screamed, looking directly at him, all he did was smile at her smugly. _

_He held up the black box, he held in his hand, and pushed the button on top of it. A scream of agony, instead of one of anger escaped the Earth-Puppeteer, as she dropped to her knees, electricity ripping through her core. The pain was too much to tolerate, as she tried desperately to curl into herself, to try to block it._

_Anything to not fight, Aster. Anything. _

_After what felt like an eternity, the man who had imprisoned both her and Remy, slowly lifted his thumb from the button, and leaned against the glass with folded arms. Waiting patiently, looking at Ivy, like a lion that had just corned its prey. _

_She glared up at him, her body quivering with the sting of the electricity, that had flooded from the collar around her neck. Heaving for air, she hauled herself to feet, she had no choice._

_Looking over at the soulless husk, that was once Aster, Ivy's dark rose pink eyes became slits like of a feline, diamonds of living earth, gleamed in front of her from the cement wall, thin, almost like threads from a spider, dropped from her fingertips and connected to them. _

_She turned the wall, into a wave and sent it at her sister, who easily counterattacked by turning a huge puddle of water into an enormous hand and crushing it. The Earth-Puppeteer took control of the cement below her feet, and manipulated it into a pedestal to rise above the millions of water whips, Aster sent at her without remorse._

_Ivy leapt off of the cement pedestal, going straight for the Water-Puppeteer, using the pedestal, she now had rolling beneath her, to try to block the endless water whips. One of them caught her ankle and began to pull her down, but she rose her hand up, as a spike of cement, shot through the water whip, and sliced through it like butter._

_Landing awkwardly on her feet, the Earth-Puppeteer lifted her eyes, to meet her sister's clouded ones. "Aster_…_** haben wir nicht zu kämpfen. Sie müssen sich der Kontrolle von Stryker zu kämpfen. Bitte **__..._ -we don't have to fight. You need to fight Stryker's control. Please…-" _She pleaded._

_Her last word was choked off, as Aster suddenly controlled the water to surround her as a massive bubble, as she struggled for air, water beginning to fill her lungs and nose. She was drowning…_

_Her own flesh and blood was trying to exterminate her. _

_Feeling her mind starting to fade, flashes of Remy, smiling, kissing, protecting her…flashed across her eyes. She could not give up now, he was trying so hard to regain the freedom that was stolen from them. _

_She did not want his efforts, all his planning, to be in vain. Her heavy-lidded eyes snapped to full alertness as the strings flooding from her fingertips found the cement beneath her, and she pulled on it without mercy._

_The cement lifted around her, and busted the bubble, that would have been her watery grave. She sent the cement at Aster without a second thought, as a thousand lethal spikes. But the Water-Puppeteer quickly made water wrap around the spikes, by turning her hands in a large circles. Using the chilled air in the room, along with the water, she turned the spikes to solid ice, and left them to crumble at her bare feet. _

_Ivy glared at her, gasping for air, her hair dripping wet, and her clothes soaked through to the skin._

_Aster only lifted more water to her, ready to attack her little sister again, but instead, she let it fall back to the cement and extended the strings from her fingertips to pull at the water in the Earth Puppeteer's clothing. She yanked her toward her, and raised a chunk of ice, now shaped like a deadly dagger, against the soft flesh of Ivy's throat._

_Fear swam over the determination in her dark rose pink eyes, as blood pooled up along the edge of cold weapon._

"_**Abschied, kleine Schwester**__. -Goodbye, little sister-." Aster's voice was as cold as the ice dagger, she held against Ivy's neck, as blood began to drip down, to soak the collar of the bright orange jumpsuit. A creepy sneer crept across the Water-Puppeteer's once emotionless face. _

_The Earth-Puppeteer let her fingers sway and move, almost to slowly to see, as cement welled up beneath the fellow element manipulating mutant. It sent Aster flying into the air, causing the dagger to be dropped from her hand, and for Ivy to land on her back, hard, water splashing up around her, as she landed._

_She backward rolled herself back to her feet, and she used the cement to launch herself into the air, and twist herself, so she was able to avoid the large amounts of water, Aster sent at her. Landing behind her sister, and pulling the cement with her. She heard her sister, gasp in pain. _

_Blood sprayed from the wounds, and coated the deadly spikes that now pierced Aster through from below her collar bone, to her abdomen. Tears slipped past Ivy's eyes, as the ruby-red drops fell onto her hair, and dotted against her porcelain skin, like rain. She righted from her crouched position, and walked around to face Aster._

_The life sustaining liquid trickled from her sister's open mouth, as she gaped and struggled for air, for breath. For what was left of her remaining minutes of existence. Ivy let the spikes drop, as her sister fell into the puddle of water below her, turning it pink. The Earth-Puppeteer kneeled down, and pulled her sister's broken body into her lap, cradling her like a child. Wrapping her arms around Aster, as sobs broke through, that burned her chest. _

"_**Es tut mir leid ... Aster ... verzeih mir…-**__I'm sorry…Aster…forgive me-" She said through tears, that dripped down onto her sister, and mingled with her blood._

_A shaky breath escaped her sister's mouth as she struggled to let words, form past the blood that pooled around her teeth and tongue. __**"Nicht zu entschuldigen ... Ich kann jetzt schon ... die Freiheit nach so langer Zeit ... danke ...**__ -Do not apologize…I can know freedom now...after so long...thank you…-" _

_Ivy glanced down at her sister, at the true light of life, that even though it was dimming rabidly was really Aster. Was truly her. She placed a kiss to her sister's hair, and brushed her fingers through the choppy and uneven curls. _

_Even after Aster's last breath had left her ruined chest and lungs, Ivy continued to hold her, to rock, as tears flooded down, and she could scarcely breath herself. _

_She did not even feel the needle, as Stryker pushed the liquid sedative through her, and she slumped into her sister's bloody body. _

"He made me kill her, Remy, Stryker made me kill my sister…" Ivy continued to sob, as the Cajun lay down on the cement of his own cage, in order to stroke her cheek with a single finger, and try to stop her tears.

"I will get us out of here, _Petite Fleur. _I swear, I will." Remy said softly, and she could feel the rage behind the promise, one that he would not break, no matter what the cost.

**A/N: ****Okay, once again please read and review. All of the reviews I have been getting, have really encouraged me to keep going, but I need a break. I will not be updating this story next week, I need time to plot and work on other stories. The next update will be…the twenty-first of July. I hope you are not angry with me. -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: ****Welcome to chapter 7, the escape begins! I know you weren't expecting this chapter until the twenty-first, but the darn plot bunnies just wouldn't leave me alone. So here you are, the start of Remy and Ivy's escape. I apologize since it is mostly fluff, but it is all relevant. All the action-filled goodness will be in chapter 8, which will probably be posted on Wednesday. So please review for both chapters. -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **

**I do not own X-men, just the plot for this story and my OCS.**

Chapter 7

Two years went by slowly. Days filled with torture and nightmares, almost blurring one into the other. More then once or twice a day, Ivy would return with a long fresh third-degree burn around her entire neck. The electric collar, Stryker had used to force the Earth-Puppeteer to kill her sister, he had grown fond of using it on her, for every little twitch of a mistake she made.

Stryker nearly had her broken, nearly had her shattered like the puppet, he had turned Aster into, but no, Ivy refused. But the only person, keeping her from falling over the edge, was Remy. Always Remy.

She looked at him now, through the holes in the chain-link metal that walled both their cages, Victor Creed had used him as target practice today, the target practice routine had become a weekly ritual, just like Remy's Friday night poker games with the guards. But whatever their madman torturer had injected the Cajun with recently, seemed to rapidly increase his tolerance for pain. Their was not a single bruise, only a long jagged claw mark, across his cheek, that almost reached his right, forest green eye. Still a little bloody, but already turning a light pink. His blinding orange jumpsuit was also covered in blood, but not his own. It was Sabertooth's. Remy had been lucky today, he been able to grasp, one of the buttons on the cat-like mutants shirt, and charged it with the kinetic energy from his fingers. It had sent off a chain reaction that covered the whole shirt, not just the small plastic buttons. The shirt exploded with the charge, making Victor hit the back of the room wall. His chest bloody and dripping nearly showing the muscle beneath, a lot of it splattered onto the Cajun's uniform. But he did not care, he had only smirked in triumph, over his small victory of the day.

His fingers were curled around some of the metal, as her knuckles brushed against the skin of her own. Two of his fingers, were lightly tugging on her dark chocolate curls, like claw pinchers. Her hair had grown considerably longer since their first months of capture. It was flowing a little past her shoulder bones, almost covering her chest. She was also nearly bone-thin. He hated seeing her so skinny, once they escaped, he was going to make sure, she regained some fat on her. His beloved Earth-Puppeteer was almost a skeleton, wearing her own skin for an overly tight suit. He smiled lovingly at her, she was pressed as close to him as she could get. Looking at the stubble he had grown, almost a tiny beard, a small mustache had also grown across his upper lip.

"What?" He questioned, with a smirk playing across his lips.

"Nothing." Ivy replied quietly. "Makes you look distinguished." She smiled a little.

He pressed a kiss to her lips, and then to the side of her temple, the hairs of his grown facial hair tickling her skin. She giggled a little, and kissed him back, softly and swiftly.

How she longed to be closer to him, to have him hold her close, so she could press her face into his chest , to kiss him and not have the bitter taste of metal follow it. But she also longed to see the sun again, to have it's warmth against her nearly albino flesh. To have the grass beneath her feet, and caught in between her fingers. To watch the dawn turn to dusk with all it's beautiful colors. The moon and stars, glowing and sparkling in the night sky.

Ivy just wished to see the earth again, and she wanted to be able to share all her happiness with Remy, to be with the Cajun she loved. She wanted to tell him that too, that she loved him, but every time she thought she had gotten enough courage to tell him, she found herself tongue-tied and her hands beginning to shake and sweat.

"Ivy?" Remy called her name, softly and brushed his finger against her cheek. Her eyes had gone glassy, doll-like, unseeing to the outside world. This happened a couple times a day now, and when he was able to pull her out of it, either she would have tears streaming past her dark-rose pink eyes and start apologizing repeatedly, or she would start screaming, because the memory of killing her only sister, still haunted her.

And no matter how many times, he tried to explain her that it had been an act of mercy, she still blamed herself.

"Ivy? _Petite Fleur_? Ya know, I'm really startin' to hate when you do this…" The Cajun said quietly, and instead of continuing to stroke her cheek with his finger, he poked it.

The Earth-Puppeteer blinked at him slowly, rejoining the dim orange lights around her that easily meant lockdown, and the screaming pleads of fellow prisoners. Tears did not stream down her cheeks, a scream did not come from the air she drew into her lungs.

Nothing but a small smile breezed across her face, as she looked at him.

"Sorry…" she said softly, she had never smiled when he pulled her out of one of her trances or nightmares.

"What were you thinking' about this time?" Remy asked, and lightly pulled one of her spring-tight tresses, to watch it curl back.

"Freedom. With you." She answered, a blush crept across her porcelain cheeks.

"Ivy…" His response came out in a breathy-whisper, he didn't want to hear her say it. Not yet.

"_J-Je t'aime…-_I love you…-" The Earth-Puppeteer's voice was shaky, but she had said it. She used up all of her nerve to tell him.

"_Je sais…-_I know-" The Cajun replied, he could not bring himself to reply, even though he felt the same way. His forest green eyes dropped away from her gaze.

First he wanted to get her, what she desired most of all. Freedom…

"Gambit…" She said in a whisper, filled with humiliation and desperation for him to look at her, to tell her that he loved her back. That the feelings that she had kept welled up inside for him, for two whole years, were not just for nothing.

He did lift his eyes to her for a mere second. She called him by the name the guards had given after he had beaten them at every game. A name meant now for his enemies, not for her to use.

"You don't have to call me that." He muttered and dug his hand into his boot, until two of his fingers snatched up one of the smallest money chips he had.

They had waited long enough.

"We're leavin'." He said and then slid the chip into a small hole in her hands plastic-wire cage, it was charged with kinetic energy.

"Now?" She questioned in a breath, filled with fear, uncertainty, and anxiousness.

The chip inside the plastic encasement exploded with a solid _pop_, as Ivy wiggled her hands loose from it and stretched her fingers, and rolled her wrists a couple of times, to regain blood flow, ignoring the pain of the dark pink burns that now splotched her fingers and hands. She knew it would hurt, but the agony was very little, compared to what they both used too.

"Now." Remy nodded.

Ivy's pupils became cat-like slits as unburied her treasures. Her precious three apple seeds. She tucked them into the folded hem of her orange jumpsuit, near her ankle. Her eyes showing her the living earth, glistening like diamonds, that still beat within the chain-link metal. Strings dropped from her fingertips, and connected with it. She forced to stretch, to bend and move. Her hands and fingers moving like music conductor, as she was able to manipulate the metal, to curl in a little, so she would not cut herself on the jagged edges, or get her clothing snagged. She bent it more, making a hole big enough for herself to squeeze through.

Remy backed up to give her room, as the Earth-Puppeteer lay flat on her stomach, and using her elbows, dragged herself along the cement, until she reached him. Turning, she faced the hole, and made it reform back to normal.

In a kneeling position, she looked over at him, desperate for his touch. He pulled her against his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin against the top of her head, and let his fingers trail through her long curls, as her head rested against the fabric, listening to his heart thudding beneath.

Kissing her fingers, softly, like a beat of a butterfly's wings, he reluctantly let go of her, as she began to work the metal on the door to his cage, inch by inch.

They still had a long way to go, Ivy stopped her manipulation, as Remy lit up one of the chips, he held between his fingers with dark purple, almost a magenta color of kinetic energy. He sent it at the security lock and let it explode. It crackled and hissed, sparks flying from the wires, that now hung out from the metal all askew. It made a couple of popping noises, before going still.

After he had finished with that, Ivy continued to make a whole large enough for the two of them.

They were going to get out of here. Out of this hell, and to true paradise. And then Remy would tell her, and he would probably never stop telling her afterwards.

**A/N: ****I hope you enjoyed it. Please Review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: ****Welcome to the conclusion of the Remy and Ivy's escape. This story isn't over yet, don't worry. I do not own X-Men just the plot for this story and any OCS. Please Review! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **

Chapter 8 

The Earth-Puppeteer continued to work on the hole inch by inch, hearing the sound of approaching heavy boots, panic rose within, and made her heart pound rabidly against her chest. She scooted back, leaving the hole waiting, as the strings that had been coming from her fingertips slacked and retracted. Ivy crawled on hands and knees, into the dark shadowy corner of Remy's cage, where the Cajun sat with his knees pulled up.

His eyes were red with black pupils, as he let one of the navy blue money chips roll back and forth between his thumb and pointer finger, glowing with dark purple kinetic energy. He glanced over at Ivy, and gently shoved her deeper into the shadowy depths of the corner. Remy was just glad that the dull orange glowing florescent light above his cage, were beginning to die, the light bulbs inside flickering on and off.

Ivy sat wedged between the cement brick wall of the cage, and the Cajun. Her forehead resting against the upper part of Remy's arm. She held her breath and squeezed her dark rose pink eyes shut. Praying that the guard was drunk, praying that they would not get caught.

She wanted freedom, craved it like a child wanted candy. She opened her eyes a crack, to see the beam from the guard's flashlight sweep over Remy, lighting his face for a moment, before the light from the illuminating object swept over the rest of the cages lazily.

The guard lifted the walkie-talkie to his mouth, and pushed the button to say, "Everyone accounted for." With that his heavy boots thudded again, as he left through the entrance door, and it banged shut behind him.

The Earth-Puppeteer lifted her eyes to meet Remy's and he smiled at her. They had to leave now if they wanted a chance of escape. The seven guards who did their rounds down in the holding cells were not as lazy, he placed a hand on the top of her head, and ruffled her curls affectionately, and all she could do was smile half-way.

Ivy stood from her crouched position and quickly connected the strings from her fingertips to the live earth in the chain-link doorway. She spread both her arms sideways, as if she was opening a double door, and the doorway rolled to both sides like opening an old fashioned box-shaped container of tuna. She stepped to the side, to let the Cajun pass her by, the dark navy blue chip still rolling between his thumb and pointer finger. He then gripped her hand with his empty one, and practically dragged her down past the rows of cages, on both their left and right sides, at a run.

Past the pleading screams, and begging, nearly hope-filled eyes, that threatened to engulf the Earth-Puppeteer with guilt, as they rushed past.

Instead she avoided their gazes, and tried her best to block out their high-pitched whines, practically pained screeches of, "Freedom…escape…", and locked her dark-rose pink eyes onto Remy's back, his grip never loosening on her slender fingers. They made their way toward the door that the guard had left in. The Cajun's gaze narrowed as he pressed the chip, against the door, and then pulled Ivy away from it, as the heavy iron door exploded into pieces, one part of it hardly hanging onto the dark gold hinges anymore.

Remy stepped over the chunk of the bottom of the door, and instead of waiting for Ivy to take his hand, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up and over it. He did not even give her second to become steady on her feet once more, as he rushed down the hallway to the left of them, and she chased after him, at his heels, he grasped her hand in his iron hold once more. The apple seeds, bounced around in the rolled up hem of her orange jumpsuit, that had faded in color over the past two years, their hurried footsteps echoed in the hall, against the cement flooring.

The Cajun slowed to a walk, after they had ran down the length of the hallway. Nearly at a snail's pace, straining his ears to hear for any oncoming guards. Nothing. He released his iron-clad hold on Ivy's fingers, and standing at the door in front of the two of them, he pressed his hands against its cold surface. Feeling the warm kinetic energy from his hands, meet with the door.

The door pulsed and vibrated, as it shook and then exploded, leaving Remy to quickly cover Ivy's thin form with his own more muscular one. Dust cleared, as the Cajun glanced over his shoulder, weapons gleaming into his slightly clouded vision.

He did not waste anytime in stepping foot inside the room where the weaponry was stored. The Earth-Puppeteer stood to the side, near the entrance, clutched tightly in her fisted palm was one of the apple seeds, waiting in her anxious sweaty palm to be woken, she could hear Remy moving around in the room, searching among the shelves and rows of weapons for his own. For his diamond-headed bo staff.

Eyes widening and a grin stretching over his stressed features, Remy grabbed his weapon from where it lay on two steel brackets on either side. His hand wrapped around the familiar staff as he took it from its place, his forest green eyes narrowed into red with black pupils.

Suddenly the florescent almost like moonlight lit room, was bathed in stop sign red, a blaring siren flooding into his ears. Growling in frustration, he whipped the diamond-headed bo staff into its full length, and strode out the room, muttering angrily. "Now the alarms go off…"

Ivy was looking at him, desperately for instructions, one of her hands clenched tightly close.

"Now would be good time, to wake up one of those apple seeds of yours. Do not let your guard down." He said sternly.

The Earth-Puppeteer nodded and opened up her hand, she lifted it, until it was almost touching her lips, and exhaled out a shallow and slow breath, before dropping the seed onto the cement. Strings slunk out from her fingertips, her pupils cat-like slits as the strings connected to the seed, and pulled the tiny plant from its casing.

Remy spun his bo staff a couple of times, to get the feeling of using it once more. He grinned, just like riding a bicycle. Never forget how. He looked at Ivy, they were running out of time, he watched as she steadily as she made the tree grow to the size of a sapling, its roots wiggling like octopus tentacles.

"Come on, _Petite Fleur." _Remy wrapped his fingers around her wrist and began to pull her down the hallway, away from the sound of rushing booted feet at a sprint, her other arm loose and outstretched behind her. The strings from her fingertips still attached to the apple tree sapling, as it followed after them,- on its roots, wiggling and squirming-, like a dog.

Remy stopped suddenly, making Ivy collide into his back, and almost lose control of her wiggling weapon. She peered around Remy's arm, her wrist now freed from the Cajun's fingers. Guards were front of them, armed. The Earth-Puppeteer looked behind her shoulder, guards behind them, also armed.

Fantastic…

Remy whirled his bo staff in several fluid motions, knocking several of the guards flat on their backs in massive pain. He sent one straight through the doorway to their freedom with knock-out-air whack to the stomach. He looked back at Ivy, the sapling had grown ten times its original size, straining not to break through the ceiling. Guards wrapped in its roots and branches.

They were so close…

Remy slammed his weapon into the cement, the diamond head glowing violet, as it pierced through and rippled across both sides of the hallway, the impact sent the Earth-Puppeteer on her backside, she lifted her dark-rose pink eyes toward her apple tree. The tree shook with the kinetic energy, it had gathered from the Cajun's power surge, and blew apart to splinters. She lifted up her arms, to block the small shards of wood from piercing her, and her pupils narrowed to cat-like slits as she felt her strings reach out and connect to them. Righting herself to her feet.

She manipulated them to grow, as she used them like large spears, and they soared through the air to a fresh batch of oncoming guards, attaching them to the hallway walls, as if she was hanging up a new picture. She sent the last couple at the beefy guard, who had dragged her to Stryker, the day she had been forced to kill Aster. The wooden spear, thin and long like a toothpick, sliced through his stomach, blood coming from his mouth as he gasped for air. His eyes wide with disbelief.

Ivy did not even flinch at the sight.

On the now uneven ground, it felt more like a jumbled up jigsaw puzzle that had been rattled in its box, Remy let a smug half-smile flitter across his face, he turned to walk over to Ivy, to help her get through the ruined flooring, to the sunlight that streaming into red lighted hallway, the blare of the sirens still resounding in his ears.

But the Earth-Puppeteer dropped herself into the splits so fast, Remy hardly had time to turn in order to dodge the bullet that whizzed past his cheek. She was now flat on her stomach, like a pancake, as Remy sent a kinetically charged money chip at the guard who had fired off the bullet.

Said guard collided with the wall and went through it, frightening a couple of scientists hard at work.

Ivy had pulled herself into a handstand, and then a bridge, before being back on her feet. She smiled at Remy, and he only looked at her with a raised eyebrow. A ridiculous and yet tempting thought filled his mind, he could not help becoming curious if she shape herself into a pretzel.

He tucked his bo staff, into its travel-size shape, and grabbed the Earth-Puppeteer's hand with his free one, but before he could pull her toward the sunlight and the freedom they both desired. She let the strings from her fingertips connect with shattered ground and form a new wall. Grinning at him, Remy lead Ivy away from the carnage, away from the mini-battle they fought to gain what was rightfully theirs.

The Cajun lead the Earth-Puppeteer toward the sunlight and their regained freedom.

**A/N: ****Chapter nine will posted next Wednesday, once again please read and reviews! The reviews I have been getting are most appreciated! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: ****I know this chapter is much shorter then the others, but there is a very good reason for that. My two brand new bunnies, the sons of the buck that I already own, have died. Apparently they escaped last night from their cage. (let it be known, that I was not the last one out there, one of my other family members was) and early this morning, were killed by my mother's dog. Rest In Peace, Prospero and Benton. **

**I do not own X-men, just the plot for this story and any OCS. Enjoy the chapter! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **

Chapter 9

Sunlight hit her eyes first, as she lifted them to the robin egg-blue sky. White, puffy clouds drifted lazily on the sky's surface. Her chest and lungs burned, as she lay in the grass, digging her fingers into it, letting it wrap around them. Her arms and legs ached, felt like lead. But she did not care, Ivy DuJardin gazed up at sun, not caring that it was now filtering through the leaves of the trees, that were now above her head.

The Earth-Puppeteer was supposed to be hiding, while Remy went off to go find them better clothing then their ugly and now dirty blindingly orange jumpsuits. Find? Ivy thought with a smile of amusement hitting her tired features, more like steal.

Ivy let her dark rose pink eyes, slide shut, as she listened to the sound of the birds chirping, letting the large yellow star above her in the sky, warm her skin. They had ran, until they could not feel their limbs anymore, until the only thought keeping her and Remy going was, the thought of being captured and caged again. They had ran, until the sounds of sirens blaring and men shouting, were far beyond the reach of their ears.

She inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air, and hummed happily for a brief moment. Freedom. They were finally free. Ivy was about to sit up, when a bundle of soft white cottony holed fabric, that smelled of laundry detergent and being sun-soaked, hit her square in the face.

Blinking rabidly, the Earth-Puppeteer let her fingers untangle from the grass, as she grabbed it, and looked at what Remy had brought her. It was a simple white sundress, the top part was decorated with small flowers, the small holes were because, they were meant to be the flowers center. The shoulder straps were slightly frilly, the bottom was nothing but plain white cotton.

Her gaze lifted from the article of clothing, to the Cajun in front of her.

A smug smile was on his handsome, and still unshaven face. He was shirtless, showing off his taught muscles, that were slightly glistening with sweat. The jeans he wore, were faded and slightly torn on one leg, and one size to big, showing off the navy blue boxers that now clad his body.

"Oh, you're gonna need these too." He said, and pulled bunched up cotton items, from the back pocket of the jeans.

Ivy's face automatically burned red, as she caught them. A bra and a pair of panties. Both snow-white. He had brought her underclothes. But it was the underwear, that made her eyes go wide, there was barely anything to butt of them, nothing a thin string.

The Cajun simply chuckled softly and plopped down beside her, she glanced over him, still clutching her new clothes.

Her normal pale, porcelain colored face was a light blush pink.

"Where did you get these?" She questioned, even though she already knew he had stolen them.

"They were blowin' in the wind." Remy replied with a shrug.

The Earth-Puppeteer sighed, already deciphering what he meant. He had taken them off of someone's clothesline. She let her head, lean against the upper part of his arm, and he planted a kiss to her dark chocolate, spring-tight tresses.

"_Je t'aime trop_-I love you too-._" _The Cajun murmured softly.

Ivy lifted her head, from where it rested, and stared at him with wide dark rose pink eyes. "You mean it?"

Remy only nodded, with a smile. Ivy kissed him, quick and softly on the mouth, before standing up, the sundress and undergarments, bundled in her arms. She lifted up the barely-covers-anything underwear with a slender pinky.

"Do I really have to wear this?" She questioned, pink once again drowning the normal color of her face.

"Not unless you would rather want to wear old grandma-style, or go out to eat wearin' your prison uniform." Remy said, digging out the wallet, that had also been shoved into the back jean pocket, and looking through it for cash.

He pulled out, four twenty dollar bills, and put them in replacement of the battered leather money holder.

"We don't have to go out to eat…" Ivy protested, but her loud and snarling stomach, easily betrayed her. She needed food. They both did.

"Just go change, _Petite Fleur." _the Cajun said and Ivy ducked behind the tree, to do just that.

Remy leaned back against the tree, ignoring the rough bark against his back, he raised one knee up, and rested his hand on top of it. Said hand, gripped his diamond-headed bo staff, at its full length.

Just because they had escaped The Island, and the clutches of their madman capturer, William Stryker, did not mean they were out of danger yet. That was why they were hiding deep in the woods, Ivy would have plenty of weapons at her exposure then.

"Ready." Ivy's whisper-soft voice, brought the Cajun out of his thoughts, as he looked up at her and smiled.

"You look very beautiful." Remy commented and Ivy simply blushed, looking down at her now bare feet.

Remy's smile, only turned into one of smug satisfaction. Making her blush, was one of things that made him happiest. It was just so simple and easy to pull off. He grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

He lead her away from where they would be camping for the night, and toward town. Where they would find a store, and buy her a pair of sandals, and the no matter much Ivy was going to regret wanting to do it, buy him a shirt.

Ivy continued to grip Remy's hand, swinging their arms back and forth a little, as they walked.

He was a thief, a conman, and a total womanizer. But Remy LeBeau was the man…mutant, she was head-over-heels, crazy in love with.

**A/N: ****As always, please review! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: ****chapter ten is being posted early! One because I finished it early, and two, because I won't have access to the internet tomorrow, darn doctor's appointment. And I am also cranky with my flash drive, it corrupted the original file of this chapter and I rewrite the entire thing! Enough with my ranting, enjoy the chapter!**

**I do own X-Men, just the plot for this story, and any OCS! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **

Chapter 10

"Here." Remy put a crumbled single dollar bill into Ivy's hand, which once held her ham and cheese sandwich.

The Earth-Puppeteer face that was once filled with joy, now became a mask of confusion as her lips fell away from where they were around the straw, that now spun lazily in the coke soda-bottle shaped lemonade, she had been sipping.

The mixture of tangy and sour still tingled on her tongue as she asked, "What's this for?"

Instead of getting straight answer, Remy asked a question of his own. There's still livin' earth, in it right?"

Ivy pressed the dollar to the table, and smoothed the wrinkles from its surface with her slender fingers, before lifting her head to check out the surrounding area. They were sitting at a table at an outdoor section of the restaurant, to enjoy the breeze and sun. Regular people passed them by, either busy chatting with their friends, or glancing at shop windows, at the items, they could never afford with their pay checks.

They were too busy to notice, if she activated her powers. The dark pupils within Ivy's dark rose pink eyes turned to cat-like slits, the rest of the world turned pitch black around her as the diamonds coming from the single dollar shone in front of, sparkling and clear.

She could hear Remy plunking what was left of his donut, into his coffee, the now lukewarm content, splashing a little over the rim, and onto the smooth white circular surface of the table. Her fingers lightly hovered inches away from actually touching the dollar, the strings dropped down from her fingertips connecting to the living earth that still dabbled in the piece of paper money.

"There's enough." She said, and let her powers pull away, so she could see the living earth, and a fuzzy, nearly faded out Remy.

The Cajun smiled, and popped the last bite of his donut in his mouth, swallowing it down with his last swig of coffee before asking. "How far can you get it to fold?"

Ivy let her focus return to the dollar in front of her, her fingers began to twitch and waver over it. She forced it to fold in half, and then finally after several seconds, it was about the half the size of Remy's thumb. She let the world fall back into full color and focus, as she made the dollar unfold, but not get unwrinkled.

She finished up the last of her lunch, while the Cajun paid for their meal and left the tip. Ivy shoved the dollar into the hole at the top of the fuzzy brown leather of her new tote bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, and righting herself to her brown sandaled feet, Remy grabbed her hand and looped her fingers with his own.

"Where are we going?" The Earth-Puppeteer asked, she could not help the smile that spread across her face.

"You need to practice, _Petite Fleur_." The Cajun replied as they walked slowly through the crowd, like any young normal couple in love.

Ivy's pupils became cat-like slits, as the strings dropped down from her fingertips, that was not looped around Remy's, and found the living earth that radiated from the money in people's pockets. It came out from holes in people pockets, and from the insides of their shoes, and every time she simply pretended that her own wallet had fallen out of her bag and she was simply picking up the money that had fallen out. Remy looming over, while she did this.

After two or three hours of practice, the two were back in their sleeping spot for the night. The Cajun sat cross-legged under the tree, his blue stripped and white button down shirt, opened showing off his six pack abs. Ivy lay with her head on the inside of his thigh, a little, watching as he began to shuffle the cards.

The Earth-Puppeteer rolled over so he could see his face, and her fingers brushed against the slight hair that he had on his face. He looked down at her and smiled, and kissed her forehead.

Ivy opened up the brown paper bag, she had laying on her stomach, her knees pulled up a little. Producing a chocolate chip cookie from the bag, she put one in Remy's open mouth, while she bit down into another, nearly moaning in pleasure, as the sweet chocolaty goodness hit her mouth.

"Oh, chocolate, how I have missed you." She sighed contently, and sat up a little in order to grab the bottle of milk that sat in front of the Cajun, after she had finished with the cookie. She drank a little of the cold liquid and handed it off to Remy, wiping the milk mustache away with the back of her hand.

Thirty dollars, she had taken today, from hardworking acne covered teenagers, mothers, and probably a couple of poor boyfriends about to propose to their girlfriends, after they had bought the ring, with the cash they had saved. Yes, she had felt guilty at first, but it soon disappeared. Her stealing, pick pocketing, was for her and Remy's survival. And ten of out of thirty, she had used to treat her and the man she loved, to the best dessert in the world. Chocolate chip cookies and milk.

"You're turning me into a thief, you know." Ivy stated and laid her head back down, in its original spot.

"I know." Remy smiled smugly, after finishing his own cookie, and downing more of the milk. He began to pet her cheek with his hand, before kissing her long and slow. "I like it."

The Earth-Puppeteer took Remy's hand away from her face, and laced their fingers together, kissing his fingers, blushing ever so slightly.

"So, oh great Guru of Thievery, what are you teaching me to do tomorrow?" She questioned as the sun began to set, and the air began to grow cold. The first stars of night starting to shining in the sky.

"How to pick locks and to hotwire a car." He answered and started his game of solitaire, a question formed in mouth, and fell from his lips before he could stop himself.

"How did you survive before?"

Ivy's face grew grim then, as memories flooded in her mind. "I ate from dumpsters and begged for change, slept in alleyways…"

Remy kissed her again and then brought her hand to his mouth, to kiss the top of her hand. "You'll neva have to live like that again, _Petite Fleur._"

**A/N: ****oh yes, that's right I almost forgot to mention. I have another story up, featuring Aster (before and after Stryker kidnapped her) and Saber tooth. It is named Wasser Puppe, meaning Water Doll. If you could please Read and Review, that one as well, after you have with this one, I would really appreciate it! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: ****I apologize for the late update, writer's block is being a S.O.B. Anyways, as always I do not own X-men just the plot for this story, and any OCS. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please Review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)**

Chapter 11

Dawn had barely risen to wash away the dark navy blue colors of the night sky, with its own apple red and gold, cold dew still sparkled on the grass, and Remy Lebeau was dragging a half-awake Ivy, away from where they had just been sleeping.

The cold dew chilled her bare feet, her sandals having been forgotten underneath the tree, the only reason she was still upright and had not done a face plant in the grass below was the Cajun's death grip on her hand.

"Where are you dragging me?" Ivy questioned, using her free hand to try to wipe the half-awake state from her dark rose pink eyes.

"We are getting a car." He explained simply, with a shrug.

Ivy's tired gaze lifted from her dragging feet, to the back of his head. "We don't have enough money to get a car…" Realization struck the Earth-Puppeteer in the face, as her eyes became wide.

"Remy, we are not stealing a car!" She tried to wiggle her fingers loose from his grip, but the Cajun only turned her so, she was now in his chest. He held both her hands to him, so her fingers could dig into the fabric and not hit him.

"How else do expect us to get outa here, _Petite Fleur_?" He questioned, as she looked up at him.

"Walking, maybe? But I don't want to steal anymore." She said, and squirmed as if she was a fish caught in a net.

Remy leaned forward and kissed her non-to-gently on the mouth, before releasing her hands only to wrap his arms around her, and hold her tightly to him.

"What's one car?" He whispered into her dark chocolate curls. "If it means we get farther away from _there?" _

Ivy glanced back, she could still see the round odd towers, that came from Three Mile Island, they were still not far enough away, for capture to be nothing but a haunting memory. Getting re-captured was still a reality, a reality that was all too close for the both of them.

"Just _one _car?" She locked her eyes, with Remy's forest green.

He nodded in reply, "Yes, just one."

That is until the one they had broke down, or they ran out of gas money, but mentioning that now, would probably only get him yelled at, or buried alive, six feet under in concrete.

"I want a cream-filled donut after…and some chocolate milk." Ivy stated and walked ahead of him, stepping onto the sidewalk that was across the street from a car dealer ship.

Remy raised an eyebrow, remembering the six chocolate chip cookies, she had shoved into her mouth. "Didn't you have enough chocolate last night?"

The Earth-Puppeteer only shook her head, her curls swaying with the movement. After two years without it, it felt like heaven. She glanced at the Cajun over her shoulder and grinned at him.

"You still owe me a ring." Ivy's grin turned into a sly smirk.

Remy blinked at her, not understanding at first. Then he remembered, the ring he had promised her when they made it to New Orleans. She had been hospitalized and drugged up on pain killers. One half of his brain was screaming at him for being so idiotic, in promising to get her such a trinket. The other half, could not be more happy about it.

"I remember." He replied and took her hand in his, leading her to the car dealer ship parking lot.

The Cajun stood behind Ivy, one hand on her shoulder. They were standing in front of a car, that could of belonged to someone's grandmother. Dark purple, and a little rusted on the bottom, but it was the only car without an alarm system.

Ivy's dark rose pink eyes were concentrated on the car door's lock. Her pupils cat-like slits, diamonds of Earth danced in front of her. But they were not white and sparkling. They were grey and quivering, Dead Earth. The strings that fell from her fingertips were hesitant to connect with them.

"It's Dead Earth." She said aloud, banishing Remy's curiosity on why she had not unlocked the car door yet.

"Just get it open. You can sleep all the way home." He said gently, and Ivy could only nod.

Home. He meant New Orleans. A blush rose to her cheeks, he wanted her to live with him. Shaking her head, to allow herself to focus, she forced the strings to connect to the earth in the lock, and with a simple flick of one wrist, and the slight pulling back and up of the other, the lock on the inside popped up.

"_Un travail fantastique, Petite Fleur_. -Fantastic work, little flower-" Remy said quietly, and planted a kiss to the Earth-Puppeteer's cheek.

"_Merci. _-Thank you-" She said, trying to swallow down the bile that rose to her throat, the dizziness and exhaustion washing over her.

Remy now sat in the front seat, bent over and slightly underneath the steering wheel, as the car roared to life. Using the hood for support, Ivy made her way to the open door of the passenger seat and crawled onto it. She strapped on her seatbelt and reclined the seat all the way back, shutting the door behind her.

Her eyes dropped close, as the Cajun spoke. And she fumbled blindly for the crank that would roll down the window.

"You're the first one, I have ever said that too." He said softly as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.

Wind blew across Ivy's cheeks, and messed with her hair, as she struggled to speak, her words soaked with exhaustion. "Said what?"

"I love you." Remy answered and turned on the radio, music filling the silence.

The Earth-Puppeteer's slender fingers found the one, that the Cajun was not using to drive with, and then nestled her cheek on top of it. Her fingers looped with his, as she let sleep suck in her into the land of dreams.

The Cajun merely smiled, and softly hummed along with the music. Things just seemed all to perfect. And he did not want that to change.

**A/N: ****I will try to get chapter 12 up by Sunday. Once again, Please Review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: ****I apologize for this chapter being so late, first my old flash drive corrupted the file, and then I had to retype it all. And then my internet has not been working probably for the past two days. So, I give you an extra-long chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. As always, I do not own X-men, just the plot for this story and any OCS. I do not own the song used in this chapter. **

**Read and Review please! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens)**

Chapter 12

"_Aster?" Ivy stood before her sister, the name echoed and resounded off the cement walls, that surrounded them. _

_The Water Manipulator did not lift her head, from where it was focused on the puddle-covered ground. The Earth-Puppeteer stepped forward slowly, her bare feet splashing in the surrounding cold liquid. She reached out for her sister's arm, to take and get out of there. Ivy tried to ignore the hair on the back of her neck, that was beginning to prickle up, to stand on end, and to ignore her mind screaming danger at her. Hesitation stopped her from grabbing Aster's slender fingers with her own, even though they were only a breath away from touching. _

_This place was not the only thing that was dangerous, her sister was too…_

_She pulled her hand away completely, and her dark rose pink eyes locked onto the water that was quivering below her feet. Ivy turned on her heel, and bolted toward the opposite end of the room, as far away from Aster as she could get. Her eyes searching frantically for an escape route. A door or a window, anything, even a hole would do. _

_But there was nothing, but solid cement walls and a dome ceiling. A dome ceiling that was cracked and leaking water. Some of it, dripped onto Ivy's spring tight curls, but she paid no notice of it, and instead turned to face Aster._

_The Water Manipulator lumbered toward her little sister, practically having to drag her feet, as if it took all of her strength just to walk toward the one she was after. Ivy watched as she struggled to lift her arms above her head, the water from the puddles below, and dripping from the ceiling, following her movements, as they merged into one great rolling wave. That towered over the two element users, the Earth-Puppeteer's dark pupils turned into cat-like slits as she tried, to find any sparkling diamonds of Living Earth. The strings from her fingertips dropped down and connected, but before she could form a wall to protect herself, she was knocked off her feet, by the wave._

_Her head collided hard with the cement wall behind her, millions of tiny black dots danced in front of her vision, and the back of her skull throbbed painfully, as she tried to focus. _

_Aster was in front of her now, as she lay, partially slumped against the wall. The dark green dress she wore, soaked to the skin, as she sputtered up a tiny amount of water. Struggling weakly, Ivy righted herself, using the wall for the support. Her palms pressed against the cool cement of the wall, as she pushed herself forward. Aster only looked at her with deadly spring eyes, her facial expression a mixture of betrayal and anger. But her eyes were sparkling with life. Not clouded and dazed._

_Maybe Ivy could get through to her…now would probably be her in chance…_

"_Aster…__**bitte…nicht…**_-please…don't…-_" Ivy pleaded in the first language she had ever been taught to speak. In the language both her and Aster understood._

_But the Water Manipulator did not acknowledge that she heard the Earth-Puppeteer. Instead she forced the water to take form again, the noise from the wave, muffling out Ivy's pleases. Ivy tried to force a wall to form, but her actions were to slow, as the wave once again plowed her to the cement and then swallowed her up into a large sphere of water. _

_Gasping out of shock and late realization, Ivy choked as water filled her nose and open mouth. She had been too late to lock any precious life sustaining air, that would of kept her alive longer. Even to her numbing mind, it was stupid as she grasped at her throat, trying to scream for help. For anybody. But that only made more oxygen bubbles leave her body, and make her vision become blurry. Tears making her vision even worse, as they slid past her cheeks. _

_Her sight started her blacken, her body and mind starting to grow to tired, to even thrash in her watery prison anymore. Even with Aster in front of her, standing in front of her and watching her die, the last person that came to her, was the only one that she loved with every fiber being in this messed up world. _

_Remy…_

He emerged from the bathroom, steam following after him, and the bathroom light flooding more light into the dusk bathed motel room. His skin was damp and water trickled down from his dark brown slightly curled under hair. Clutching the snow-white towel tighter around his waist, he bent down to dig a pair of brand-new, just bought an hour ago dark blue and black plaid pajama bottoms out of a plastic shopping bag.

He let his grip loosen on the towel, and let it drop to the dark maroon covered flooring in a heap. He pulled on the pajama bottoms and tightened the string, skipping the boxers completely, either out of exhaustion or laziness, or perhaps both. After knotting the string, he turned to grab the white paper bag that held the cream-filled donut, beside it the plastic vending machine bottle of chocolate milk. Both items sat on the dresser top moments before, but now one was in each of his hands.

The Cajun smiled softly, ready to surprise Ivy with her late breakfast, but his forest green eyes became wide. The Earth-Puppeteer was lying on the bed under the covers, the sheets twisting around her like a straight jacket, nearly soaked with the cold sweat that was coming from her porcelain skin. She was thrashing, whimpers escaping her mouth, and words in a tongue he did not understand also escaping her panic breaths. It sounded almost like she was choking.

Remy set her meal on the nightstand beside the bed, and got on the bed, kneeling a little, before he leaned over her.

His hand swept across her face to wipe the way the tears that spilt past her tightly shut eyes.

"_Petite Fleur…_you need to wake up now." He whispered and pressed a series of feather soft kisses to her cheek repeatedly.

Ivy shot up rapidly, gasping for air. She then clung to him, her arms wrapped his waist, and her face pressed into bare chest, as she sobbed. Her body shaking, as he then kissed her hair and gently pulled her away from him, to wipe away the fresh tears.

The Cajun grabbed the white bakery to-go paper bag off the nightstand and handed it to her, smiling softly. With shaking hands Ivy opened up the bag, and unwrapped the donut, biting into it without a second thought. Remy then opened up chocolate milk bottle, and then handed it over to her. She set the half eaten donut on her bedspread covered lap and took several gulps of it, before letting her dark rose pink eyes meet his forest green.

"Nightmare?" He questioned in a whisper, and Ivy could only bring herself to nod.

"You finish up eatin' and shower, you'll feel better soon." Remy stated, but the haunting flashes of the nightmare still filled her mind.

After her chocolaty dinner, that left her slightly quivering with both the rush of sugar and from the hellish dream, Ivy headed toward the bathroom, sucking the remains of the chocolate off her fingers.

She took off her white sundress, and hung it on the doorknob of the bathroom entrance. Stepping into the lukewarm water of the shower, she let it wash away the aftermath of everything, even the nasty old people perfume smell of the rusted old dark-purple, nearly plum colored car.

The Earth-Puppeteer stepped out of the bathroom, wearing one of Remy's long-sleeved button down shirts, her dark chocolate spring-tight tresses still dripping wet, as she lay on the top of the bedcovers, her head resting on the pillow. She wanted to soak up the last remaining drops of sunlight, before it was completely consumed by the chilled darkness of night.

Remy looked over at her from his game of solitaire, and stopped momentarily to kiss her head and, then her mouth. Ivy only smiled at him and kissed him back, watching with tired dark rose pink eyes as he resumed his game. Her eyes drifted closed to the sound of him, sing-murmuring that lullaby again, the one that soothed her through the dreaded nights on Three Mile Island. As always she seemed to only be able to catch the last verse.

"…_Et les soirs où l'enfant joue et sourit de la joie, comme la lune s'arrondit. Et quand l'enfant pleure, elle diminue pour lui un berceau de la lumière. -…_And on nights when the child plays and smiles of joy as the moon becomes round. And when the child cries, she decreases for him a cradle of light.-"

With the sun masking the night with the golden and red colors of dawn, Ivy and Remy walked toward the car. She had officially named it _Le Raisin de Mourir_. The Dying Grape, due to the fact that the car probably, would not be able to bring them the rest of the way to New Orleans.

Ivy let the wind stir her hair, as she rested her chin on her palm, and watched the world go by through the open car window, music playing on the radio to cease the silence. The clouds in the sky, had decided to bring them an early morning drizzle, with fog covering the road.

The Earth-Puppeteer braced herself against the airbag holder, as the car suddenly halted to a sudden stop, sending her lurching forward. She looked over at Remy, the Cajun had grabbed his diamond-headed bo-staff out from underneath and was getting out the vehicle. Ivy followed suite, gathering grass from the side of the road, to the strings that fell from her fingertips.

She glared at the figure in front of their car, the person illuminated by the brightly glowing headlights. Remy's bo-staff glowing with kinetic energy, as the one before the two of them, struggled to her bare web-feet.

**A/N: ****Chapter thirteen will be posted hopefully next Wednesday, once again, please review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: ****Slowly recovering from being sick, here is chapter 13. I do not own X-Men, just my OC and the plot for this story. I also do not own the mutant frog girl, she belongs to one of my friends. Enjoy the chapter and review please! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)**

Chapter 13

The Earth-Puppeteer made the grass crawl closer to mutant that was in front of their car, the grass moved its way forward like an inch worm. The mutant looked at her and the Cajun with wide, panic-filled aquamarine eyes. Her pale green skin was damp from the rain, and her rusty-brown curly hair, had droplets entwined in its tresses. She was only wearing what looked like a black sports bra and black elastic workout shorts.

Ivy released her control on the grass, the strings from her fingertips slackening, but not retreating back inside. She glanced at Remy, the frog-girl was not a threat, considering that she looked like a frightened rabbit, about to run off.

The Cajun put his staff away, instead shifting his packet of playing cards, easy for throwing incase of long distant attacks. The frog-girl was the one who fought Ivy on the day, the day they were both captured by Stryker's goons. This female mutant was one of them, or was. Now she was shaking from head to toe, wearing a pair of black thigh-length stretchy latex tights, and sports bra. She was dripping wet and smelled like hospital chemicals.

The whirring and deafening sound of helicopter blades, brought both Remy and Ivy's heads to lift up the source. Roaring wind, making the air around them dusty and dirty.

The Earth-Puppeteer narrowed her dark rose pink eyes, a female doctor was gripping onto the metal handle of the helicopter door. Her brown hair was half in a bun, and half falling out into the bellowing wind, a tranquilizer gun was in her opposite hand, but it was not trained on The Cajun, or the woman he loved.

It was focused on the frog-girl, who ducked down folding her arms over her head, and crouching down in front of the Dying Grape, a scream of fear emitting from her throat that was blood curdling. The tranquilizer dart impaled the hood of the car instead, Ivy looked over at Remy, he had a card charging in between two of his fingers.

The Earth-Puppeteer let the strings from her fingers reattach to the grass near her, and become ten times the normal size of overgrown grass that had been cut by a lawnmower in a month. Her weapons surrounded her like a squirming barrier, ready to attack and defend. Suddenly shots were fired off, not from the tranquilizer but from any actual gun. Bullets that could kill them.

Remy dodged out of the way of the flying ammo, the frog-girl could be heard still screaming like a frightened banshee, and scuttling around the car in a crouched position. She was struggling to open up one of the back doors of the Dying Grape, and crawl inside for a place of safety.

The Cajun sent the card soaring into the air, glowing a bright purple as it hit one of the helicopter blades, and blew it to bits of metal.

The helicopter skidded in the air, and sputtered. Smoke bellowed up from where the card had hit, and fire blazed. Rounds were fired off from a gun again, and Ivy sent the grass at the assailant, hearing muffled curses as the person hit the floor of the helicopter.

The Earth-Puppeteer did the same to the doctor lady, who glared at her in reply. Ivy rushed back to Remy and got into the passenger seat, barely having time to buckle her seat-belt or even shut the door, as they sped past the broken helicopter.

Ivy glanced back at the frog-girl, who was sitting between the floor of the backseat and the back of the passenger seat. She looked up at Ivy, with large and frightened aquamarine eyes.

"Are you guys superheroes or something?" The Frog-girl questioned, her voice slightly quivering, but full of curiosity.

The Earth-Puppeteer blinked and then raised an eyebrow, "Ummm…no." She answered simply, and the fellow female mutant became silent, resting her head on her bare knees.

The rest of the ride was in silence, except for the low music on the radio and Remy drumming his fingers against the side of the steering wheel. It could have been only a couple hours later, but to Ivy it felt only like a few minutes, as she wearily opened her dark rose pink eyes.

They were at a gas station, the Cajun was leaning his back against the pump waiting for the tank to fill up. Ivy checked the backseat to see the frog-girl still in the same position, she opened up the car door and got out to head the gas station's restroom. She was going to use it, no matter how disgusting it was.

Remy watched the Earth-Puppeteer practically do the gotta-go dance all the way to the bathroom from the corner of one of his forest green eyes, and then went back to watching the money counter of the pump. Neither of the mutants noticed the one they had rescued, sneaking away into the darkness. Ivy returned and got back in the car, just as the Cajun did, and was starting the Dying Grape.

"She's not there anymore." Ivy stated simply, and leaned the passenger seat back a little.

Remy shook his head, and then smiled. "You hungry?"

The Earth-Puppeteer grinned, "Starving."

Their meal consisted of cheeseburgers, smothered in ketchup and mustard practically dripping onto the open wrappers in their laps, accompanied by greasy French fries and more ketchup, along with sodas. All from a fast food joint. Remy and Ivy sat outside, under the star and moon filled sky, the car parked in a field of flowers, using the headlights to help them see their dinner.

Ivy slurped down the last bites of her cheeseburger with her soda, and wiped the remains of the ketchup, mustard, and beef patty grease onto her napkin. She shoved the trash into the bag, and stood up. Remy followed suit, and put the trash on the front seat floor to be thrown out in the morning. He then opened up the back seat car door, and reached forward to turn the car off completely, and put one of the camping lanterns he had bought onto the floor of the backseat. Turning it on dim, he made a makeshift pillow from a blanket he had also bought, and lied back on his back. Booted feet hung out into the open night air, and Ivy peered at him questionably.

"Tonight, _Petite Fleur, _I will be your bed and pillow." He smirked and Ivy half-smiled.

The Earth-Puppeteer pulled of the snow-white sundress, and pulled on Remy's shirt as he handed it over. She than got into the car and lay herself on top of him, resting her head on his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her.

The sounds of crickets and other insects became their lullaby, almost lulling Ivy to sleep. That is before a thought drifted into her groggy mind.

"Remy?"

"Hm?" He questioned, cracking open an eye to peer at her.

"They're aren't any alligators out here are there?"

She could feel him chuckling beneath her, his chest rising and falling.

"Ivy, we aren't any near the bayou." He pressed a kiss to her curls, and tugged on them a little. "Why you worried so much?"

"When I was in the circus…." That explained the acrobatics that were way out of his league and the major flexibility that Ivy possessed. "One of the clowns owned an alligator named Arnold that would chase me, and nip at my heels." And that explained her fear of the reptiles.

"Don't ya worry, _Petite Fleur_, I'll protect you." He whispered and kissed her on the forehead, after sweeping her bangs away.

Ivy was fast asleep and Remy followed soon after.

**A/N: ****Once again, please review! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: ****Welcome to chapter fourteen! Sorry for the late update, Writer's block. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! This story is going to be twenty chapters long seeing as I still have so much that I want to add. As always, I do not own X-men, just the plot for this story and any OCS! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens)**

Chapter 14

The sounds of morning birds chirping, the low hum of radio music, and Remy drumming his fingers against the steering wheel were gone. Even the glare of the dawn hitting her face through the open car window, as the cold wind hit her face and messed with dark chocolate spring-tight curls were replaced.

Ivy's head lay against Remy's dark navy blue button-down shirt, as the world around her came in as a fuzzy half-awake state. She was wrapped in his leather jacket, his comforting scent surrounding her as she tried to focus, to figure out where they were. Well, they defiantly were not in the car anymore. This place was far too noisy. Women laughing loudly over a private joke , children squealing in delight, one giving chase to the other, their feet hitting carpeted flooring. A telephone ringing pierced through all the other noise, mixed with the ding of an opening elevator.

Then the noises of the other people disappeared, leaving only the sound of the elevator going up floors. Ivy lifted her sleepy eyes to meet Remy's, as he readjusted her in his arms.

"_Où _-Where-?" was the only word, she was able to form as the elevator stopped on a floor, to allow more people inside.

"New Orleans, _Petite Fleur._" Remy grinned and kissed her forehead. "To be a little bit more precise a nice fancy hotel in the French Quarter."

Ivy sleepy smiled back, they had finally made it to where the Cajun's roots were. Then again, she could not help but feel a little guilty, Remy had done all the driving. When she voiced this to him, he only laughed, telling her she had been the perfect passenger, seeing as she had slept all the way there, after he had woken up before the sun was even in the sky.

The Cajun set the Earth-Puppeteer down once they reached the floor their room was on. The key dangling in between his fingertips, the store bags that their new clothes had been in had been replaced with two separate travel bags, that were over one of his shoulders. Ivy still wrapped up in his leather duster, followed after him. The jacket engulfing her, the end of it dragging slightly along the dark red carpeting that covered the hallway.

She would not even ask him how he had afforded to pay for this hotel, plus probably a month of new clothes. That she did not need to know, did not have to know. All she wanted was to be happy and free with the man she loved.

Remy stopped so suddenly, Ivy almost collided into his back. The room card key slid into the slot of the golden handle, that was on the white painted wooden door and, clicked open. The room number, thirty-six, gleamed from the hallways lights in silver letters on the door.

Once inside the room, Remy tossed their bags onto the king-sized bed, and plopped down onto it, beginning to unbutton his shirt, while he unzipped one bag with his free hand, to dig out fresh clothes. Ivy unwrapped herself from his black leather duster and draped it over a chair, she glanced over at him, now far more awake then she had been.

"What do you have planned?" She asked and joined him on the bed.

"First we're goin' to take a hot shower, and then there's a restaurant within walkin' distance, that I was planning' on takin' you out for dinner."

The Earth-Puppeteer's face flared red with the mention of joining him in the shower, but then again it would save time and water…and she would get to see more of him then just the upper half of his body…feeling her face heating up even more at the thought, she nervously fiddled with the fabric of the white sundress she still wore.

Remy gathered up his clothes into his arms, and smiled at his nervously blushing girl. He lifted her chin up with a single finger, and kissed her on the mouth. Making sure that the kiss was long and slow, making her melt under his touch.

Once he pulled back, he smiled lovingly at her. And then took one of her curls in between his fingertips and pulled it, until he could watch it spring back to its original form. Once he had finished playing with her hair, Ivy kneeled over the duffle bag that had her clothes in it, and picked out an outfit before following him into the adjoined bathroom.

Steam covered the mirror, as Ivy wiped it away with her hand. Her hair still dripping a little from just getting out of the shower moments before. The scent of lavender donned her porcelain skin and hair, as she tried to dry her bouncing tresses with the towel that was on top of her head. Seeing that there was going to be no luck in taming them long enough for her try straighten them, she cast the white hotel towel aside, and grabbed for the ribbon that was on the sink counter.

Ivy hastily tied back some of her curls away from her face with the black and red swirled ribbon, that matched the black and red plaid knee-length plaid dress she wore. Making sure her leggings did not have any holes in them, she slid her feet into black ballerina shoes that tied all the way up her leg with the same blood-red color ribbon of the hair ties.

A couple minutes of brushing her teeth, and a last minute check in the mirror, she joined Remy in the bedroom. The Cajun turned to face her, just shrugging on his duster over his dark red button-down shirt, and grabbing his diamond-headed bo staff from where it was leaning against one of the nightstands.

He kissed her on the cheek before grabbing her hand, and lacing their fingers. "I think tonight I will introduce you to one of the delicacies of New Orleans."

Ivy raised an eyebrow at this, as the cold night air greeted them as they left the hotel and she was glad, she was wearing a long sleeved dress. "Which is what?"

The Cajun smiled, "Alligator meat."

Her dark rose pink eyes became wide. "_La viande d'un alligator -_Alligator meat-?"

Remy only continued to smile and pressed a kiss against her dark-chocolate curly tresses. "Think of it as revenge against Arnold."

Remy's smile suddenly faded, turning into a dark line. His grip on Ivy's fingers tightened, his body tensing, and she looked up at him worriedly. Her free hand slid into the pocket of her dress, her hand gripping the flower seeds that were inside, her pupils almost going into cat-like slits.

"_Ne pas_…-Don't-" He breathed in warning, and Ivy stopped herself from fully activating her powers.

A man stood in the half-shadow of the restaurant lights outside, as he stepped toward the two mutants, a warm smile was on his face, but Remy did not seem pleased to see him at all. His voice came out bitter and cold as he asked darkly. "You just can't give me any peace can you?"

The Cajun pushed Ivy behind him into the shadows, hoping that he would not notice her odd colored skin or unique eyes. Whatever he had planned up his sleeve, Remy did not want her to have to be involved.

"I haven't seen you in years, and this is how you greet me, Remy?" the man questioned, looking at him with disappointment.

Remy only sighed out of annoyance in reply before demanding an answer for a question of his own. "How did you know I was here?"

The man only chuckled softly, and shook his head in disbelief. "The Guild's everywhere. We've been waiting for you to return."

"I don't want any part in whatever scheme your planning, Jean-Luc." The Cajun said stubbornly, as he tried to keep Ivy behind him, to keep her away from the leader of the Guild's eyesight.

"I only came to welcome you home." He replied, but his dark brown eyes had spotted the Earth-Puppeteer. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Ivy hesitantly stepped away from where she was behind Remy, and the Cajun protectively wrapped an arm around her waist. "_Petite Fleur, _this is Jean-Luc, my father."

**A/N: ****Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: ****Sorry for the late update, I was having a lot of trouble with this chapter. I hope Remy is not out of character. I do not own X-men just the plot for this story and any OCS. Please Read and Review! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **

Chapter 15

They were bombarded by a multitude of noise once they entered the restaurant with Jean Luc. Music blared from the jukebox, people were laughing loudly either from too much alcohol or a joke someone had just told. Remy still held Ivy's hand in his own, their fingers laced together so tightly, that she was afraid she was never going to get the circulation back.

The trio sat down at a table farthest to the back to get as faraway from the noise as possible, the Earth-Puppeteer sat down beside the Cajun both of them across from Jean Luc. She busied herself with looking through the menu, while Jean Luc ordered drinks. Remy leaned back in his chair, his hat tipped forward ever so slightly and his diamond-headed bo staff leaning against his arm. He looked up from his adopted father from the rim of his hat, but did not say a word, only gave a glare of mistrust.

Jean Luc leaned forward, his handed folded neatly, his smile was warm. But from Ivy could tell as she glanced at him from behind the menu was that it seemed more like he was ready to make a business deal.

His tone was hushed as he spoke, even though it was so loud in the restaurant it would have mattered, no one was going to overhear. "Is she one of them?" He asked. "Like you?"

The Cajun's eyes softened as he tore his gaze away from his father and then back to man, he had somehow learned to hate. "What if she is?"

Jean Luc smiled, he could tell just by the raw over protectiveness in his son's voice that this girl was not just another pretty woman, that Remy had invited in off the street. No, this one was special, in more ways then one.

"No reason." He replied and sipped the beer, once the waitress had set it down on the table.

The Cajun's eyes only narrowed further as he drank some of his own. There was always a reason. He looked over at Ivy, her dark rose pink eyes were concentrated on the ice floating in her water as she drank some of it. She looked fidgety and nervous, and as she let her eyes lift to his. He realized that she was ashamed, ashamed because it was so obvious that she was not normal. Her porcelain colored skin and unique eyes, made her look more doll-like then anything. Made her look nonhuman.

Remy pressed a kiss to dark chocolate colored curls. "_Il n'est pas nécessaire d'avoir honte. _-There is no need to be ashamed.-"

Ivy smiled up at him, and tried not to blush as Jean Luc smiled at them knowingly.

Once their order came, the Earth-Puppeteer took her fork and gently stabbed the alligator meat on her plate as if she was afraid it was going to move.

Remy and Jean Luc both looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Are you sure I'm not really eating Arnold?" Ivy finally spoke, still looking at the piece of meat like it was going to bite her at any moment.

Remy chuckled and smiled at her. "_Petite Fleur_, it's probably his distant cousin three-times removed."

After eating, Ivy stood ready to leave and head back to the hotel, while Jean Luc paid for their meal. He had never given them a reason why, maybe it was just the fatherly thing to do? The Earth-Puppeteer wondered, but she would not know for sure. Remy stayed back with his adopted father, while Ivy lingered among the pounding music and overly joyful people.

"You need more money don't you?" His father questioned.

Remy remained silent, it did not surprise him that his father knew. The Guild kept tabs on their "family", even if they were run outs. Yes, he was running low on money, and yes he was going to need more to give the girl he loved the life she deserved. But stealing again? And to drag Ivy into it?

He looked over at him, waiting patiently for him to return to her side. He sighed and then looked up at Jean Luc.

"Just one job?" He questioned a little darkly.

Jean Luc nodded and smiled. "Yes, just one. It will be just like old times again, Remy."

The Cajun let out a sigh, and glared when his father started laughing. His laughter turned to a snicker, as he smiled in amusement at his thought. "I wonder what Bella Donna is goin' to think of your new girlfriend?" He mused aloud.

"She needs to get over it." Remy hissed angrily and turned to leave. His father watching as he grabbed Ivy's hand as they left the restaurant.

Once they were out in the chilly night air, Remy stopped and Ivy's dark rose pink eyes were deep with concern as she looked up at him.

He gripped her fingers in his own, and brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it. His muscles tensing as he did, out of the corner of his eye he could make out the shadows of the some of the Guild members. They were being watched.

"You are going to steal again?" Ivy questioned, but there was not disappointment in her voice, she just wanted to know.

"Just once more." He promised, guilt rising in his chest as he said the words. How did he know that it was just going to be once more? How did he know that he had not just lied to her?

"I want to help." Ivy stated and Remy looked at her with an overprotecting and loving gaze.

"You could get hurt…" He protested.

The Earth-Puppeteer narrowed her eyes at the Cajun. "So could you."

Remy let out a defeated sigh, there was no point in arguing. Stealing was what had gotten them this far in the first place. Stealing and cheating was what had gotten them out of and away from Three Mile Island. But how long would they have to steal and lie, just to get the freedom they so badly wanted?

**A/N: ****I will be posting all updating information on my profile for my stories, so please check there for days that a chapter will be updated or reasons on why it has not been. Once again, please review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: ****I apologize for the late update, writer's block has been dragging me down lately. I do not own X-men, just the plot for this story and any OCS. Read and Review, please! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **

Chapter 16

She rolled over, the covers not following her movements as she allowed her tired eyes to peel open to the morning that wanted to greet her. Remy sat on the bed, the one side that was already made, playing a game of solitaire. He wore jeans and his long sleeved shirt lay unbuttoned against his chest, his black fedora sat on the nightstand. His forest green eyes found her watching him with still sleepy eyes, and a small smile crept along his mouth.

"Mornin' _Petite Fleur_." The Cajun's accent made her smile, as she wiggled close enough to rest her head against his thigh. His fingers found her spring-tight dark chocolate curls, as he toyed with them. "About last night…" he began but the Earth-Puppeteer interrupted before he could get anymore words out.

"I haven't changed my mind." Ivy said and dark rose pink eyes narrowed seriously, as she sat upright.

"If Jean-Luc sees you use your powers, he'll continuing hounding after us for jobs."

Her curls bounced as she shook her head. She was not going to let him try to scare her off, she was going to help him and that was that.

"If it's dangerous…" Remy murmured his fingers lingering along her pale cheek. So close they were almost touching noses.

Ivy's lips found the Cajun's. She kissed him long and lovingly, before bracing herself for the cold of the hotel room after she left the comforting heat of the covers. "We'll protect each other."

The Earth-Puppeteer tossed her powder blue long sleeved nightgown onto the floor, before shimmering on fresh undergarments along with deodorant, and a pair of jeans. A blush grew to her cheeks, as she noticed Remy watching her out of the corner of his eye. She quickly donned on the white v-neck t-shirt and the grey hoodie. After a quick scrub of her teeth with her toothbrush, she sat on the bed to tie her sneakers, and she glanced up as the Cajun's fedora suddenly blocked her vision of the laces.

"Are you sure I can wear this?" she asked as Remy now stood in front of her shrugging on his black leather duster.

He nodded and waited for her to finish tying her shoes before grasping her fingers in his own. Ivy quickly checked the pocket of her hoodie for the seeds that were once on the nightstand and once that was over, they headed out of the hotel and to the streets of the French Quarter.

Dark grey clouds now blocked the sunlight, as the duo walked down the sidewalk toward a tiny coffee shop and bakery combo with a welcoming sign in gold letters.

The bell on top of the glass door chimed as they entered. The scents of baked goods and coffee reaching Ivy's nose as her stomach grumbled in reply, the donuts decorated with either icing, sprinkles, or both, starting to call for her. Several other customers were already there enjoying the brewed wakeup liquid, as Ivy took a seat on the squishy barstool and began to try to debate which donut she wanted more.

Remy sat down beside her, and she watched as his fingers dug into the pocket of his duster. She knew what he was lightly gripping, his Bo staff, the diamond top removed for easier transportation, her eyes glanced up to shirt pocket. A pack of cards peaked out against the lining. Was it always going to be like this? Never letting their guard down, not even for a moment.

Ivy took a sip of the coffee that the lady behind counter had poured for her, and had almost decided on her morning pastry that would satisfy her stomach when a girlie and happy voice disturbed her option finalization.

"Remy, welcome home!" The cheery greeting came from woman maybe a little younger then the Cajun. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and she planted a kiss to Remy's cheek.

Ivy gripped the coffee cup feeling her powers stirring beneath her skin. Remy noticed Ivy's pupils turning to catlike slits, and quickly shrugged the blonde girl's arms away from his shoulders.

The blonde smiled at the Earth-Puppeteer in an almost friendly manner, as she sat down on the other side of Cajun. "I'm Belladonna. Remy's fiancée." She smiled and Ivy scowled.

"Ex-fiancée." Remy hissed angrily as he took a sip of his coffee before continuing, "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't love you anymore, Belladonna?"

She frowned, "But who could you love other then me?"

"I would like you to meet, Ivy." Remy indicated and took Ivy's hand in his own pressing a kiss to her fingers. "_Ma petite amie_.-My girlfriend-" She blushed at this, while Belladonna narrowed her sapphire blue eyes at the Earth-Puppeteer.

Ivy only laid her head against Remy's arm and smiled, biting happily into her chocolate iced donut and trying to not seem happy that his ex-fiancée was practically steaming with jealousy.

"Is she one of us?" Belladonna finally bit out, grabbing the coffee she ordered.

The Cajun smirked a little but only replied with a shrug, before asking an inquiry of his own. "What are you doing here?"

"Ordering coffee." She answered and then sighed as Remy raised an eyebrow, not believing her in the least. "Jean-Luc sent me to get you, so you could finalize the plans with him."

"You're in on this to then?"

Belladonna nodded and then shot Ivy a dirty look. "Just because I am, doesn't mean I'm gonna be protecting her."

Ivy's eyes flashed with power for a mere second. "I don't need your protection." She got down from the barstool finished with her donut and coffee, wanting to get as faraway from Remy's ex-fiancée as possible.

Remy slipped his duster back on from where it had hung on the back of the counter chair, and took his Bo staff out from the pocket. Ivy looked up about to offer him his fedora back, but Remy only shook his head and smiled.

"Is she going to follow us the whole way to meet your father?" Ivy asked, glancing over her shoulder at Belladonna.

Remy let out a sigh of annoyance, which would have been answer enough, but to make the point clear he said with the same bitterness. "Probably."

**A/N: ****I will try to get chapter 17 posted soon! Once again, please read and review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: ****I know I have not updated this in a very long time, but my writer's block is ebbing away, so now I can hopefully finish this story before spring semester classes start. As I always I do not own X-Men, just my orginal characters and the plot. Please Read and Review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH) **

Chapter 17 

The Earth-Puppeteer ran her finger over the blueprints of the house once more. It was not really a house at all, at least not to her. A fortress, disguised as a mansion would be more fitting. She scanned the blueprints again, cutting a glare toward Remy's ex-fiancée, who was sitting across from her, painting her fingernails a baby doll pink. Gambit's fedora slid over her eyes as they flashed into cat-like slits, her mutation becoming active. They were both waiting for the Cajun to return, with Jean-Luc so they could get the heist going.

Ivy looked down at the rickety card table that the blueprints were on, and let her gaze drift up to the single lamp light swaying above their head, casting shadows and blinking in and out, it was as if it was using its last bit if life to let them run this heist. She could hear the drunken chatter and laughter coming from the other room, even with the wooden door tightly shut. Her clothes now reeked with the smell of cheap cigars and cigarette smoke, but she would have to wait until her and Remy returned to the hotel to either toss them out, or to try to washout the disgusting odor. Belladonna lazily lifted her head as the door opened, just as she finally finished painting the last of finger of her left hand, casually blowing on them to make them dry faster. Remy entered the room, Jean-Luc's laughter sounding off somewhere not to far from the room as he sat down beside Ivy, and began shuffling the deck of cards he had in his hands.

"You gonna be alright _Petite Fleur_?" Remy questioned as he shuffled the deck again. "You don't have to do this…"

The Earth-Puppeteer shifted the hat, so she could look at him, her mutation finally calmed. Even if the nauseating scent of nail polish lingered heavily in the air, it was better than cigarette smoke. "I am going with you, end of story."

"It could be dangerous. You could be killed." He persisted, shuffling the cards for the fifth time.

"So could you." Ivy retorted. "I am not going to wait around worrying."

Remy sighed and lifted his fedora from her head and placed it on his own. "We should get going. Get this over with." He dug his bo-staff from the pocket of his duster and extended it, placing the cards into his coat pocket.

The Earth-Puppeteer looked down at her grey zip-up hoodie and faded jeans. "Remy, this isn't a very thieving-friendly outfit."

The Cajun smirked. "I know." He took her hand, laced his fingers with her own, and led her out of the room.

She was greeted by lopsided drunken grins, shouts of angers from sore losers, who had lost this last penny gambling, and one scheming smirk from Jean-Luc. Ivy turned her eyes away from Gambit's adopted father and toward the window outside. The street sign, that was somehow still readable even with its faded white paint, said Bourbon Street.

Ivy looked down as a heavy brown paper bag wrapped package was dropped into her arms, heavily bound with blood-red string. She looked up at Remy with a raised eyebrow as he led her away from the crowded bar and back to the backroom. Belladonna still sat in the chair fanning her hands, she frowned at the brown paper package in the Earth-Manipulator's hands and disappeared into the din behind the door.

The Earth-Manipulator undid the bow of string and looked down at the sleek black outfit that had been contained within packaging. It would certainly hug every single curve she had, snug and skin tight. There was even pair of what looked like ballet slippers, but was shaped more like feet, there was also a pair of matching gloves, and the outfit even came with a very thin hood to complete it.

Remy excited to the backdoor of the building, and waited out in the alleyway. Ivy emerged in the outfit, feeling more heist ready. She flexed her fingers, and wiggled her toes. A few stray curls had refused to stay in the hood, and hung out close to her eyes.

"I feel like Cat Woman." She said and looked up at the grinning Cajun.

"You're sexy then Cat Woman, _Petite Fleur." _He replied and kissed her, just as Belladonna came out, looking non-to-happy about the situation.

"I get to play lookout, while you two get to have all the fun." She stated in a bored tone, looking at her freshly painted nails instead of her ex-fiancé and his new love.

Ivy tried not to roll her eyes as Belladonna sat perched up in the tree, all dressed in black, and looking like a vulture ready to spring on her with its talons and rip her shreds. The Earth-Puppeteer looked up at the brick mansion as her mutation kicked in. She connected the strings to the living earth still somehow surviving inside the brick and pulled slowly and carefully. She did this all way up to the third floor window, making it look somewhat more of that of a climbing wall then the side of a mansion. She took very little time to think about the situation she was in, before climbing up to third floor window with the speed and agility of a cat. She had twist her body around at the last second, the edges of her fingers gripping on to the side edge of the rotated brick, as slid in on to her stomach and backward somersaulted onto the carpeted floor without barely touching the fabric.

Downstairs, Remy let his kinetic energy surge from the tips of his fingers and into electrical wiring of the house and heard the satisfying hiss, crackle, and bang before the house became dead silent. The air conditioning whirled to a stop and clunk. The Cajun made his way up the stairs, nearly bumping into Ivy as he rounded the corner. They made their way toward the farthest door at the end of the hall, the plan was simple. Get in, get the pricey whatever it is that is in the safe, and get out. They had almost made it to the room when Ivy felt a massive weight literally plow her into carpet. She squirmed and wiggled like a fish caught in a net, felt slobber dripping onto the back of hood, and teeth, very sharp teeth, digging into the fabric trying to tear it away.

Remy unleashed his bo-staff with a long sweeping strike to the side, sending the snarling and barking beast away and onto the floor, and hauling Ivy to her feet. The Doberman snarled at them, fangs bared and made ready to lunge at the pair, Ivy dug into the small pocket of her outfit and took out the three sunflower seeds that she had. She cupped them in her hand and blew on them to awaken the sleeping plants inside and sent them at the canine. She quickly attached the strings that came from her fingertips to the sunflowers and ensnared the dog in them. Remy busted the door down and went straight to the painting that the safe was hiding behind.

He threw the painting to the floor, knowing full well they were nearly out of time and sent kinetic energy into the safe, the surge blew it apart sending the door crashing on top of the painting. Remy grabbed the three velvet black bag that was inside, and then grabbed Ivy's hand pulling her down the hall and past the struggling Doberman. Ivy released her hold on the sunflowers as they slackened and released their captive. Ivy dive-rolled out of the window moments after Remy had leapt down onto the preened grass below using his bo-staff. Ivy sent strings from her fingertips to the tree branch that Belladonna was sitting in and extended it. She grabbed on to branch and then dropped down in a crouch position besides Remy. She removed her strings from the tree and to the side of the mansion. With a quick movement, like she was shoving a book back into place on a bookshelf, the bricks went back into their proper spots, the house quaking and shuddering afterward.

The Earth-Puppeteer looked up into the tree to see that Belladonna had disappeared, but hearing sirens wailing off in the distant made her realize why Belladonna had decided to pull a Houdini. They vaulted over the wall of the backyard, and into the dark streets of New Orleans, just as the police cars drove into the driveway.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: ****I do not own X-men, just my OC and somewhat the rest of the plot for this story. Some of the scenes are based off Origins: Wolverine. Only two more chapters to go until this finished, please read and review! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **

Chapter 18 

The jewels that had been in the black velvet draw-string bags were sold, bid, and pawned right down to the last diamond incrusted gold pinky ring. The Earth-Puppeteer had never seen so much money in all her life, nor had she realized it could also disappear just as quickly. Now she stood in the kitchen of her and Remy's fixer-upper house. An actual house of their very own, she could not be more happy, there was even room in the tiny backyard for a garden. A garden with her favorite flowers. But for now she had to concentrate at the task at hand, painting the ugly prisoner jumpsuit orange walls, a nice pearl white. Ivy crouched down next to the first can of paint and pried it open with the screw driver, just about to put the brand new paintbrush into the new creamy color, when the house shook. It shook so bad that framed pictures fell from the wall and onto the old wood floors, Ivy kept herself pressed underneath the triangle edge corner of the lower cabinets, until the earthquake like tremors stopped. She stumbled around the broken picture frames, avoiding the glass. She took the back porch steps two at a time, the dark pupils of her dark rose pink eyes in cat-like slits, her mutation activated out of fear, that the roar and smoke-spitting engine brought her. She rested hands on her overall clad hips, her white and navy-blue checkered long-sleeved flannel shirt rolled up to her elbows. She glared daggers at the pilot.

He only grinned widely at her as he exited the plane, landing smoothly on his feet. He tipped his fedora at her and then pressed a kiss to her cheek. Remy then turned to face his prize, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"You and me, _Petite_, were gonna travel the world." He announced, indicating the plane.

"In a flying metal death trap? I don't think so." Ivy replied, ducking out of his arms and briskly walking back to the porch.

"It has seatbelts." He said, trying to reassure her, while easily catching up with her.

The Earth Elemental took the paintbrush out of the can, and swept it against the horrifying orange paint. She sighed, having lost all inspiration to attack the kitchen with a vengeance of white justice. The paintbrush plunked back into the can with a splash, the wood floors getting splattered with white. Ivy turned her dark rose pink gaze to Remy, the Cajun sitting at the kitchen table, shuffling cards in his hands. She wandered over to the kitchen and took a glass out of the cabinet, she came back with a pitcher of water that had been cooling in the fridge, and poured them each a glass. She then plopped down in the seat across from him and slipped one of the cards out of the deck. She lifted it to the light of the setting sun and smiled.

Remy's now second favorite lady, the Queen of Hearts rested between her pointer and third finger. She looked at him and tipped his hat up with her finger, the card now resting on the table. Ivy kissed him and smiled. "Are you going back to Bourbon Street tonight?"

The Cajun nodded, taking the Queen of Hearts and putting her back into the deck. "You coming with me _Petite Fleur_?"

Ivy kissed him. "I have nothing better to do." She headed upstairs to the loft to change, feeling more like a farmer's hand then a Southern Belle.

Remy continued to shuffle his cards, while waiting for the Earth Puppeteer to come back from the loft, thinking that maybe she had gotten herself buried underneath the mass pile of clothes she had produced from her dresser and onto the bed, he made his upstairs to rescue her from a fabric induced death.

The Cajun found her in the bathroom that was connected to their loft bedroom, standing in front of the mirror and attacking her hair with the hair straightener. An empty can of spray was already in the garbage can, he shook his head and tipped his fedora down. He could never understand why she had to ruin her perfectly lovely curls with all that product and fussing. He looked up at her, dark rose pink eyes meeting his forest green. She set the straightener down on the sink counter and unplugged it, her now straight dark chocolate hair falling around and a little over her shoulders. She ran her hands over the tunic dress she was wearing, a light creamy-white colored cotton fabric that ruffled a little at the bottom and at the cuffs of her sleeves, she wore coal black leggings with it and matching ankle boots to complete her ensemble.

Remy lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her warm porcelain skin, before grabbing her by the hand and heading down the stairs, he pulled on his black leather duster on the way out and grabbed his diamond-headed bo staff as Ivy made her way out the front door. They walked to Bourbon Street, making their way through the crowds of people to the Cajun's favorite bar and poker sight. Once Remy had his table set and the normal round of drunks that thought they had a chance at taking his money, he began dealing out the cards, a separate pack from the one in his duster pocket. Said now jacket now draped over the back of the chair, Ivy had strolled over to the bar and ordered Remy a bottle of beer. The men at the table watching her every move.

She simply rolled her eyes and sighed out the word, "_Cochons _-Pigs-." Ivy had hardly made her way to the table, when the bottle nearly slipped out of her fingers and onto the already dirty wood floor. The man that had sat across the table -he had scruffy dark hair and a gruff manner- from the Cajun, made her blood run cold and she could feel her mutation activating out of panic. It was the silver necklace with the dog chains that hung around the man's neck that made her heart beat at the pace of a rabbit's. The bottle fell from her hand and onto the floor, spilling the alcoholic beverage all around her booted feet, but she did not care.

She had to get to Remy. She saw him push back the chair and stand up, the cards connecting with his kinetic charge. The man was obviously a threat, a threat to their freedom. Probably one of Stryker's men. Remy sent the cards at the man, he went sailing past the drum set and keyboard that were on the stage, and right through the brick wall and into the alleyway. The glued on posters of the wall and the bricks going with him. Ivy tried to push her way through the screaming and panicking customers, but it was not of any use. Finally catching sight of Remy, she somehow made her way toward him, picking his fedora off of the floor, just as he was yanking on his duster.

He kissed her on the forehead, his eyes still black with red pupils, his mutation still active. He gave her a one-armed crushed hug to his chest, his bo-staff in his other hand. Remy kissed her on the mouth, she could feel his mutation vibrating against her lips.

"Go home, _Petite Fleur._" He said sternly but gently, as he made his way through the front door of the bar.

Ivy could not move her feet, instead she stood their in the middle of the debris still clutching his hat. She could feel the shakes and the rumbles as Remy sent kinetic energy from his bo staff and into the alleyway. It was only until after all the quaking and other noises had ceased, that she made her way toward the hole in the wall, her body quivering. She had heard Sabertooth's voice, his bellows of agony, but as she peered around the ruined wall, the beast in man's flesh was nowhere to be seen. Instead she saw the man, no mutant, holding Remy up against the opposite brick wall by the collar of his shirt.

"Okay shit head here's the deal, see you're gonna take me this island. Where I can kill Creed, Stryker, and pretty much everyone you hate this world. Understand?" The mutant with metal claws demanded, he roughly let go of Remy.

The Cajun only gave him a look of disgust before looking over the Earth-Puppeteer. She gingerly made her way around the broken alleyway, the destroyed fire escape, and the shards of glass from the windows. She practically fell into his arms, glaring at the mutant with metal claws, her pupils cat-like silts.

"I thought I told you to go home." Remy said, feeling Wolverine, at least that was his dog tag had said, watching them from over his shoulder.

"I couldn't leave you." She whispered, feeling the strings from her fingertips connecting to the cement below.

"She's not coming with." Wolverine stated. "I don't need any extra damsels."

Ivy glared at him, sending the cement below his feet into cement spikes with a flick of her hand. Wolverine only glared back at her and sent her attack to chunks of rubble with his adamantium claws.

"Who are you?" The Earth-Puppeteer questioned, as Remy went to pick up the two halves of his now broken bo staff.

"Wolverine. I want the same thing as you, Stryker and everybody else on that island dead." He replied while Ivy used her mutation to knit back the pieces of the Cajun's weapon.

"He wants me to take him back to the Island." Remy said, still not taking the fedora back that she tried to hand him.

"I heard him." Ivy darkly replied. "And no matter how much it hurts me to do it, I will wait for you to come back." She looked up at Wolverine with the next words she said. "If he doesn't come back to me alive, I will hunt you down and kill you."

Wolverine raised an eyebrow at this, and followed them out of the alleyway. "She serious?" he asked the Cajun, who only gave a blunt nod as a reply.

"You're supposed to be taking me to the Island." He growled at Remy, getting annoyed as they made their way through the crowded streets.

"I need my plane first, I can't teleport." Remy answered vaguely.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: ****Only one more chapter to go until this story is finished. I know that goes between past and present tense but I could not find a way to pull myself out of switching, so besides the flip-flopping please enjoy the chapter. As always I do not own X-men just the idea for my story and Ivy. I know this will probably feel like a filler-chapter but I felt that it was still important. Review please! -MOTH (Maiden of the Heavens) **

Chapter 19

She stood in the large open field that is near the long wooden fence, that separates the yard of their house from the field. The rushing wind from the propellers of Remy's flying metal deathtrap sends her hair flying in front of her face, no matter how much the Earth-Puppeteer tries to keep it out of face with her hand. The wooden fence is also creaking with the effort to stay upright and sturdy, but Ivy does not make any movement to stop it from squishing her barely grown garden with her mutation. Instead, her dark rose pink eyes are locked onto Remy. She watched him moving toward the steps of the plane, the one that he is so proud to have won, Logan is standing in the doorway of the flying contraption, his face filled with impatience. The mutant with deadly metal claws wants to leave now. He is now more angry then impatient, and before Ivy can realize what she is doing. Her arms are wrapped around Remy's neck, her lips planting kisses against his face and lips.

Tears burn her eyes as she looks at him, her fingers gently rubbing against his skin. "Come back to me…please…" She whispers against the crook of his neck.

"I will, _Petite Fleur." _He promises, and heads into the plane, his bo-staff in hand.

Ivy glanced down at his fedora, she forgot to give it back to him. But instead of trying to flag him down, she walks back to the house. She turns every light on in the house and falls asleep on the couch, still clutching the fedora to her chest. It is the noise of the television set that startles out of her dreams. Dreams for once, instead of nightmares. The Earth-Puppeteer searches the couch cushions for the remote and finally finding it among a beer bottle and a five of diamonds, she flicks the TV off and heads up stairs, still half-awake. She abandons Remy's hat on the couch arm, too tired to care.

Coffee drips into the pot, the smell of caffeine is the only thing keeping the Earth-Puppeteer awake the next morning, as she scrounges in the cupboards for a mug. Today, she has her goals all set out. Goals that will help her not dread over Remy's life. She doesn't really care about the Wolverine, once army-man named Logan, how can she when she hardly knows him? She pours the coffee, steaming hot, into the baby pink mug, and grabs her toast out of the toaster just as it springs up. Toast in her mouth, slathered with butter and strawberry jam, she plops herself down at the kitchen table and looks at her to-list:

_Paint the kitchen._

_Buy more colorful paint, white is too boring._

_Laundry._

_Strip the bed and change the sheets._

_Water Garden._

_Groceries: (Milk, eggs, apples, instant oatmeal, lunch meat, bread, soup)_

_GET A JOB! _

_Apply for college? (Major in Botany and Geography?)_

Her list was written in black ink, she finished up her meager breakfast and placed the dirty plate and mug into the sink along with the other dirty dishes. She tucked the pen into the pocket of her overalls along with the list. She broke out the white paint once again, and slathered the walls with white justice, her overalls become spectacled with the pearl white paint as does her face and hands. After an two hours of painting and priming, she set the paint brush down into the bucket and smiled at her handy work. The ugly prison jumpsuit orange is officially gone. It took a while to scrub the paint from her fingers and face, she did not going into the grocery store with paint all over her. Ivy somehow managed to grip her unruly corkscrew curls into a massive topknot with the aid of a hair clip she was able to find on the counter. She scribbled off paint the kitchen from her to-do list, and grabbed her reusable grocery bags from underneath the sink. She headed over to the _Le Raisin de Mourir, _surprised that the plum purple car is still able to start, once she jammed the key into the ignition.

Ivy gathered the groceries into trunk of the car, and along with the new colorful paint. She made her way back to her and Remy's home. The Earth-Puppeteer set the groceries on the counter, and fiddled with the radio near the sink until she is able to find a station that suits her music taste. While the dishes are being soaked in the sink by a whole bottle of dish soap, Ivy began to paint large and overly massive flowers onto the white wall, the wall is soon covered with rainbows of color, and once again Ivy is covered in paint but that doesn't matter anymore. The Earth-Puppeteer hasn't felt this happy in a long time, even without Remy with her, she is able to realize that accomplish tasks without his help.

Half of things written on her to-do list are done by the time the sun is set, the radio has turned from bouncy swing music into white noise. Ivy can't help but feel the loneliness set in that had been trying to keep at bay all day. Without Remy the house is far too quiet, and feels far too big to her. Without anything else to do, Ivy pried herself from the couch, and quickly dried the dishes on the counter and puts them back into the cabinet. Ivy is afraid to sleep, and instead brings down from the loft, a pile of books she hasn't had a chance to read. _Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King _has fallen to the floor by the time Gambit stands in front of the large leather couch. Dawn is peeking its way through the window. He smiles gently and even though he is exhausted from his ordeal at Three-Mile Island, he squeezes his way next to Ivy on the couch, and wraps his arms around her. He presses a kiss to lavender paint splattered cheek, and smirks as Ivy's tired eyes flutter open.

The Earth-Puppeteer sighs in relief and kisses him until both their lips are swollen. She doesn't bother to ask about Wolverine, she barely knew the man and figured that he probably is either dead or off on his own. Coffee is made, French toast and bacon are fried up in a pan and set on the kitchen table along with syrup and butter. Remy finds her to-do list on the counter and a smirk lifts to his tired features, while he cuts his butter dripping breakfast.

"So you're getting a job and heading off to college, huh?" He asks as he pops a piece of the gooey delicious French toast into his mouth.

Ivy nods in reply as she nibbles on a piece of bacon. "I need to do something with my life."

Remy puts his dishes in the sink and finishes off his coffee, and discards his clothes as he makes his way to the loft and into the bathroom. Ivy joins him a minute later, glad to be back in his embrace. Glad that Stryker is forever done with his torment, even though the nightmares and mental damage he caused the Earth-Puppeteer well never go away.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: ****This is the last chapter. So please, please, review, and no worries there is still a couple more stories left to go. I do not own X-men, just any OCS and the story. -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)**

Chapter 20

_Fifteen years later…_

Professor Charles Xavier had not felt such a power surge coming from a mutation activating in a very long time. Not since he had saved Scott Summers and the some of the other very luck mutants, from Stryker's clutches and the crumbling of Three Mile Island. He met the mutant who was giving off the power surge once, while Scott was scrambling into the X-Jet. He went by the name of Gambit and could power kinetic energy into any object. When he offered the young man a place at the Institute, Gambit had refused. Not in an over whelming politeness, but also not an entirely rude way either. Charles smiled a little, perhaps it was time that he brought the offer in front of Gambit once again. But he decided on doing this alone, instead he would bring Wolverine with him. Logan could use time away from the school, and maybe if Charles was lucky, getting better at helping him recruit young mutants to his School for the Gifted.

_New Orleans, Louisiana _

Gambit leaned against his bo-staff, smirking slightly. He was weary down to his bones, another mutant had tried to wrangle him into doing someone else's dirty work. Dirty work that involved burying a body. He sighed, he would rather gamble and cheat people out of their well earned possessions rather then actually killing someone. Ivy was currently in her makeshift garden, dirt was already in her fingernails, but otherwise then that she was pleased with herself. Her garden was really coming around, it nearly looked like a rainbow, except the shape was more square, and there was blotches of white flowers. The Earth-Puppeteer stood and wiped the dirt on her overalls. It was almost finished, but she was far too tired to work on it anymore. It didn't help that the Louisiana heat was practically making them choke.

"Lemonade, Lemonade sounds pretty damn good right about now, _Petite Fleur_." Remy smiled.

Ivy nodded, glad that she had already had a pitcher chilling the refrigerator. They were almost on the back porch steps when a large wind nearly sent them both on their backsides. It was the sound of the engines, that made Ivy's blood run cold, Remy wrapped his arms around her, as she peeked over his white t-shirt clad shoulder to see two figures coming out of the rather large jet that was now parked in their backyard.

"What did you do?" The Earth-Puppeteer hissed in his ear, while her mutation activated.

"Nothin' at all." Remy said but automatically rolled his eyes when he saw Charles Xavier wheeling toward them with none other then Wolverine.

"I thought you said he died." Ivy growled, as the flowers blossomed around her. Their petals turning into sharp deadly needles.

Gambit shook his head and pulled his fedora down to cover his eyes from both the sun, and the glare he was getting from the man with the metal claws. "He lost his memory, _Petite. _That is a completely different thing."

Once the three male mutants were situated in the living room, Ivy busied herself with filling lemonade glasses and putting slices of apple crisps onto plates. Remy glanced back at her from over his shoulder and back to the telepathic mutant seated in front of him.

"I'm gonna give you the same answer I gave you fifteen years ago, _Monsieur _Xavier." Remy tilted his hat back his forest green eyes flashing blood red. "No."

"I assure you, Mister Lebeau that no harm will come upon you or Miss Dujardin." Charles said calmly. "Her nightmares have grown worse haven't they?" he questioned while Wolverine sipped his ice-chilled beer.

Remy could only nod, suddenly looking grave. The telepathic mutant did not have to read the Earth-Puppeteer mind to see that it was true, that the nightmares were growing worse and sometimes sent her into a deadly panic attack during the day. "She needs help, I know that." He murmured. "And you can do that…you can make her feel safe again?" He clenched his fists, disgusted with himself that this powerfully rich man could do what he could, for the woman he loved.

"Yes, and to help the both of you trust in mutants again." Charles smiled.

His smile warmed as Ivy handed in the glass of lemonade and the plate of apple crisp. "Thank you, my dear."

Ivy plopped herself down beside Remy, and gave Wolverine a cautious glance. Once Charles Xavier explained his offer to the shy cork screw curled woman, Ivy gripped Remy's hand.

"I guess it would help, getting to know other people…like us." Ivy finally said and smiled shyly at the telepath.

_New York _

It was three weeks later that the Earth-Puppeteer lay tossing and turning in her bed at Charles Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. It was not the children that kept her awake, it was the thought of sinking into another inescapable nightmare. She sighed and cursed in French, hauling herself out of the bed, she made her way down to the kitchen. Ivy passed the little boy, who was switching television channels just by blinking and into the small kitchen. Maybe warm milk would help her sleep…just as she poured the milk into a tea kettle, she nearly jumped out of her skin and almost activated the rose seedling in her pajama bottoms pocket.

"Oh…it's you, Logan." She sighed and try to stop her heart from pounding in chest, just as the whistle on the kettle blew.

"The nightmares again?" Logan questioned and grabbed himself a soda out of the fridge.

Ivy nodded as she poured the milk from the kettle and into a mug. She gently blew away some of the steam and sipped the liquid, her entire frame was shaking and tears burned at the edge of her eyes. The sobs suddenly shook her body, as Logan wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close. Logan growled low. That damn Cajun had just up and left her here, practically abandoned her with no way of knowing when he would return. But since Ivy had entered the school, Logan finally found someone he actually enjoyed talking too.

**A/N: ****I will soon be loading the start of the next story in Ivy and Remy's story. It will be called Borderline, and I am not working on it alone, I am co-authoring with Certh. So keep an out for Borderline, I am planning on posting the first chapter on Saturday, June 30****th****. Once again, please review! -Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)**


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